Long Lost Sister
by Goddess Hanyuu
Summary: Sequel to "Big Bro Donatello". Six years after the Turtles first met April, Donatello finds a familiar invention of his that makes him remember Naomi. But with Naomi's memories of them erased, will they be able to meet again? Rated T for later chapters!
1. Remembrance

**Hey everyone, this is the sequel to my other TMNT fanfic "Big Bro Donatello". I had quite a few fans on my last story, so I hope they'll read this one too and I really hope you will like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, Naomi is the only character I own. **

**Please enjoy! ^^**

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It was another one of those nights. Compared to defeating the Foot and surviving Dimension X, those small crimes in New York City were nothing! Sometimes, it was even boring.

It was six years after the Turtles first met April. In all those years, still only very few people knew of their existence. And the people who did know, became close friends. And with much more peace around them, life became much easier for the Turtles.

Leonardo was mostly training with his swords and meditating with his former sensei, Splinter.

Raphael was also dedicated to fighting, only he wasn't really into meditating, so he was spending most of his time doing aiming practice and improving techniques with his sai.

Michelangelo was spending a lot of time on his skateboard or watching TV. Over the years, he did start to develop some interest for drawing. Whenever he was bored, he took a pencil and just started drawing. Mostly, he drew humans or himself. Of course, he did also train regularly.

Donatello's inventing skills had improved significantly during their long, long battle against the Foot. Of course, many of them didn't work in the end, but nowadays, he was mainly busy fixing or improving them.

One day, when Donatello entered his working place, he noticed what a mess it was. He decided to take a day off from fixing his machines to clean the place up a little.

_Man, how did it even get this far?! It'll take _hours_ to clean this up! Ahw well, better get some boxes or something._

But it was not that easy. Donatello, the perfectionist that he was, sorted everything from small to big, from A to Z, from sort to sort and even from new to old. At the end of the day, when he was almost done, he found something he didn't recall making in the first place.

_A wristband?_

He put it around his wrist and pushed the button on it. For a few seconds, some kind of shield was all around him, but then the machine broke and the shield disappeared again. Sparks were coming off the wristband and Donatello threw it in the floor in a reflection. After a few more sparks, the machine was out.

_When did I make this? Can't be one of my better machines, that's for sure._

Then he remembered something vaguely.

_I didn't make this alone… Someone helped me. April? No way. __Maybe… Irma? Nah, that's not right. Did I even know them when I made this?_

He remembered a childlike laughter.

_A kid?!_

Had they ever met a kid? He didn't think so. Or…

_Naomi?_

How did that name pop into his head?

_That's right! The first human we ever met wasn't April, it was Naomi! I haven't thought about her for years! Wow… she must be about sixteen right now. Almost old enough to look after herself. I wonder if she did end up living with that old guy. He did say he wanted to adopt her, but did he really do it?_

He shook his head.

_What's the point? What are the odds of seeing Naomi again, anyway?_

He looked at the wristband.

_I can fix this thing. Might come in handy someday._

"Donatello," he heard Leonardo say from the door opening. "Pizza's ready. Wow, you've cleaned up the place!"

"Yeah," said Donatello, "and look what I found."

He hesitated before picking up the wristband. No more sparks. He showed it to Leonardo.

"Umm… I thought your inventions didn't explode anymore," said Leonardo.

"I made this with Naomi," explained Donatello. "Six years ago."

"Naomi?" repeated Leonardo. "Who is… wait, the little girl? That girl we saved back then, who lived with us for a while? Runaway Naomi?"

"Yeah," said Donatello. "I'd almost forgotten about her."

"We _should_ have!" said Leonardo. "Splinter-sempai* had told us back then to forget about her."

*Sempai is a suffix which is attached to the name of someone who is in a higher grade than you in school, has worked longer in a company than you, or in this case, someone who has been doing martial arts longer than you. Leonardo started calling him sempai ever since Splinter had told them he was no longer their Sensei, their guide. Leonardo, however, wanted to learn more from him and gain more experience by training with him.

"I know," said Donatello, "but I couldn't help but remembering when I saw this."

"Well, just make sure you don't mention her name in front of the others," said Leonardo. "Splinter-sempai will think you disobeyed him."

Donatello nodded and put the wristband on his desk.

_But… why __do I get the feeling I should go look for her?_

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**A short first chapter, I know, but hey, it's only the introduction (A). I'll upload the next one real soon. Thanks for reading! ^^ And please let me know what you think (although this was a rather boring chapter...). Bye bye!**


	2. Old Friends, New Strangers?

"This is just too easy!"

"Yeah! These dudes are fun!"

"How're you doing back there, Raphael?"

"Are you kidding? These guys over here are already tied up and well. What's takin' you guys so long?"

"We're just havin' fun over here."

"Ok, that's enough, guys. Let's finish this and go home already."

"Alright. Let's wrap them up like master Splinter's sushi!"

"Yeah!"

Another night of the same old routine. The Turtles took every chance they got to make it a little more fun. Even though they were already in their twenties, having fun was still one of the most important things to them. Although, Leonardo had matured more than his brothers. He was the leader, after all; he had always been more mature than his brothers.

On their way to the closest manhole, they heard someone shriek.

"Sounds like we're not done yet," said Raphael.

"Let's go," said Leonardo.

It came from the alley next to where they were. But they did not really found what they expected. Two girls stood behind their friend, who was giving a guy, who was lying on the ground in a foetal position, a warning.

"… and if you ever, _ever…_ come even _near_ my girls again, I'll make you wish you were never born!" she said. "Come on, let's get outta here."

Just in time, the Turtles managed to get away before those girls could see them.

"I didn't know you could fight," they heard one of them say.

"I can't," said another. "Ever heard of a lucky shot?"

"Oh, right," said the other.

Just a few more seconds until they were really gone. Then the Turtles assumed it was safe enough to go home.

"So that guy was the one screaming like a girl?" laughed Michelangelo. "That was priceless!"

"I know!" laughed Raphael.

"Didn't you guys feel that?" asked Donatello.

Everyone stopped and looked at him.

"What?" asked Leonardo.

"Well… I got a strange feeling from one of those girls," said Donatello.

"Yeah, one of 'em was kinda creepy," said Michelangelo.

"No she wasn't," said Raphael. "You heard her, she was bluffin'. Just dumb luck."

"Whatever," said Leonardo. "I'm going to bed."

"Yeah, me too."

"You coming, Donatello?"

Donatello looked behind him for some reason.

"You guys go on ahead," he said. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Ok, but don't go up, ok?" said Leonardo. "It's not safe to go out there on your own."

"I know," said Donatello.

A small wave to his brothers and he took off. He was following his gut feeling. It got stronger. He believed he was following the girls from underneath the surface. At one point, he stood still and looked for a manhole lid.

_There's one._

He climbed up and lifted the lid a little. He was right. There they were.

"See you girls later," said the girl who had beaten the guy from back there. The other girls left and the girl left grabbed her key and headed for the house on her right.

"Hey," whispered Donatello from under the manhole lid. He said it before he could stop himself.

"Hm?" The girl looked around. No one was there. She took another step.

"Hey," whispered Donatello again.

"Who's there?" asked the girl.

"I just wanted to know," said Donatello, "what your name is."

_Where's that voice coming from?_ wondered the girl. "Where are you?" she asked.

"Don't look for me, just listen," said Donatello.

"Who are you?" asked the girl, getting a little frustrated.

"I'm Donatello," answered Donatello.

A short silence.

"Oh my God," said the girl. She looked up at the sky. "It's finally happened. The great artists of the Renaissance are finally speaking to me!"

_Huh?_ thought Donatello.

"Tell me," said the girl, "Which one of all your projects are you most proud of? I love the David, I really want to see it in real life!"

"I'm not a dead painter," said Donatello. "Just tell me your name, please."

The girl heard his voice coming from somewhere below. She looked around and saw a slightly lifted manhole lid. She crouched beside it and tried to look inside.

"No, don't look!" said Donatello quickly. Now he got a good look and her face. A slightly familiar face.

"Naomi?" he asked.

The girl winced at the name and stood up quickly.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"So it _is_ you," said Donatello.

"Have we met or something?" asked Naomi. "I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone called Donatello talking from the sewers if that ever happened. So… What are you, a stalker?"

"What? No!" said Donatello, slightly insulted.

_Is this really Naomi?_

"Naomi?" they heard a voice say from the house. It was an old man. "Talking to manholes again?" he laughed.

"Nope, first time, Gramps," said Naomi with a grin. "I just… dropped my key. Here it is."

"Good," said the old man. "You should come in now, before you catch a cold."

Naomi stood up. "Yes sir," she said. She stamped on the manhole lid, making Donatello bump his head on it. "Later, stalker," he heard her whisper.

Rubbing his head, Donatello decided to go home.

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**Yup, so... Naomi's changed a lot in those six years. I know, I know, what are the freakin' odds of them meeting again? Well, convenience is not exactly an unfamiliar concept in stories and cartoons =P So there.**

**Thanks for reading, I already have a couple of fans (yay! ^^), mostly from my last fanfic "Big Bro Donatello". If you haven't read that one yet: it's the origin of this fic. Maybe you should read it, so you can understand the bond between Donatello and Naomi a little better.**

**Peace out! ^^ See you next chapter... I hope!**


	3. Splinter's Advice

_There, I did it. Now let__'s see if it's working._

After three days of working on it, Donatello had finished repairing the wristband. He put it around his wrist and pushed the button. A see-through turtle shield appeared.

"Michelangelo," he called. He was just in the next room.

"You called, compadre?" asked Michelangelo when he entered the lab. His eyes widened when he saw the shield. "Wow!" he gasped. "What _is_ that?"

"A protective shield," explained Donatello. "It's supposed to be able to block every attack, but… hey, could you throw something at me? Anything's fine."

Michelangelo shrugged. "Ok," he said. He looked around and picked up a random little device from one of the boxes that stood beside him.

"Not that!" said Donatello quickly.

"Ok, ok, sheesh," said Michelangelo.

"I didn't mean my machines," said Donatello. "Something like a weapon or just something expendable."

"I could try and attack you with my old nunchakus," said Michelangelo.

"Perfect," said Donatello. "Bring it on."

Michelangelo took his old weapons and gave his all against the shield. He couldn't break it. He tried again. Still no success. He tried again and again.

"Ok, Michelangelo," said Donatello at a certain moment, "you can stop now."

But Michelangelo, stubborn as he was, kept on trying to get through it.

"Michelangelo," tried Donatello again. "Michelangelo!"

He finally stopped.

"That's enough," said Donatello. "It works pretty good."

"Pretty good?" repeated Michelangelo. "If _I_ can't even break through, it's more than just 'pretty good'!" He sounded a little irritated.

"You're right," said Donatello with a smile.

"Did you make this just now?" asked Michelangelo.

"Actually…" started Donatello, but then he remembered Leonardo's words. He shouldn't tell the others about Naomi, let alone that he even saw her three days ago!

Michelangelo was still waiting for an answer. "What?" he asked.

Donatello shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "I made this a long time ago and I found it when I was cleaning up."

"Hey," said Michelangelo, "isn't that the thing you and that kid were makin'? Uhh…"

A shiver went down Donatello's spine. He widened his eyes.

"How did you know?!" he asked in surprise.

"I remember you guys talkin' about something like this," answered Michelangelo. "Come on, what was her name again?"

"Oh, _then _you were actually _listening_," said Donatello. He shook his head. "So you haven't forgotten about Naomi, either, huh?"

"Yeah, Naomi, that was it!" said Michelangelo loudly. "Wow, she must be a teenager by now!"

"Shh, Michelangelo!" said Donatello carefully. "You want master Splinter to hear you?!"

"I am afraid I did," said Splinter from the door opening. He gave both of the Turtles a strict look. Michelangelo gulped; Donatello looked guilty. At this moment, he looked like a child getting scolded by his parents.

After a long, awkward silence, Splinter said strictly: "I had told you to forget about the child."

"We know, Sensei," said Michelangelo.

"Yeah, but then I found…" tried Donatello, but Splinter interrupted him.

"You found _her_, have you not?" said Splinter.

Donatello's mouth fell open. How did he know that?

Like he could read his mind, Splinter said: "You have been a little more eager to repair that machine around your wrist than you have been for any other inventions you have made in a while."

"I'm sorry, master," said Donatello.

"No, Donatello," said Splinter. "You should not apologize. It is understandable why you remembered her. I was afraid this day would come. I am no longer your sensei, my son, therefore I cannot forbid you to look for her again. I can only advise you not to. She does not remember any of us. A mutant Turtle appearing in front of her might scare her. "

"But she wasn't scared when I…" started Donatello, but he stopped.

_That's right, I never told anyone that she saw me after I brought her home that night._

"She was scared when she first saw us," said Splinter. "She will be scared if she sees anyone of us again."

"Yeah, we sorta have that effect on people," said Michelangelo, scratching the back of his head. "I think Sensei's right, Donatello."

"Master Splinter," said Donatello. "I have always listened to you and followed your guidance. But this… I'm almost certain that the bond Naomi and I have… is something that you haven't erased."

Splinter's eyes widened.

"I still feel that connection," said Donatello. "And I think she does, too. I don't know how to explain… It's just my gut feeling."

"I know you had a strong bond with that girl," said Splinter. "Perhaps you are right, and the bond between the two of you is still intact. But if it is, what will you do with it? If you decide to talk to her again, will she be able to even _understand_ this connection? We cannot know this for sure, Donatello."

Donatello thought of what that would be like: him standing in front of her, talking to her. Would she remember him from that night after her memories of them got erased? The most realistic situation would be that she would run away, thinking he was a monster. But maybe…

He looked at the wristband they had made together back then. Then he looked up.

_That's it!_

"Thank you, master," he said. "I think I know what to do. And don't worry, I won't reveal myself… Not yet."

He ran out before Michelangelo or Splinter had the chance to say something back.

"I'll be right back!" said Donatello.

_I'll just lay this somewhere in her house! Of course! Why didn't I think of that right away? Maybe it'll bring back something!_

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**Next chapter's almost finished (I'm on fire with this X3), so that'll be up either today or tomorrow :) Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think ^^**


	4. Remember Me

Harry turned off the TV and yawned. He got up and headed for the stairs. Something was on the floor in the corridor. The old man's back cracked a little when he picked up a device he had never seen before.

_This must be another one of those technological thing-a-ma-jigs of Naomi's_, he thought. _Science these days… I just can't keep up anymore._

He went upstairs and knocked on Naomi's bedroom door.

"Naomi? You still awake?" he asked.

"Yes, Grandpa," said Naomi from the other side of the door. She opened up. "What's up?"

"Is this yours?" asked Harry. He gave her the strange device. Naomi took a good look at it.

"Umm… no, never seen this before," she said finally. "Maybe it's Soph's. I'll take it to school tomorrow. Thanks, Gramps."

"No problem," said the old man with a smile. "Just tell Sophie that she should be careful not to lose her gadgets. It looks expensive."

"I will," said Naomi. "G'night!"

"Goodnight," said Harry.

Naomi closed the door and turned around.

_I wonder what it is.__ It has a button, but… Wait a sec… I've seen this before… right?_

Suddenly, she heard a noise outside, near her window. She froze.

_A burglar? Please, don't be a burglar…_

She kept her eyes focussed on the window. With her hands, she searched for something on her desk she could protect herself with.

"S-show yourself," she stuttered. "I-I heard you."

Nothing.

Naomi slowly relaxed and shook her head. "I'm becoming paranoid," she said to herself. She put the little machine on her desk and went to bed.

********

Donatello waited for another 15 minutes before he carefully looked inside again.

_She's asleep… But I clearly heard the old man giving her the wristband. Does this mean… she doesn't remember? No, it can't be…_

He stared at the sleeping teenager.

_I'm sure it's her. I can feel it. So I guess… it didn't work._

He sighed in disappointment. He opened the window and leaned a little inside. That was a little more comfortable than hanging from the ivy that was growing against the wall.

"Why?" he whispered. "Why can't you remember?"

He knew it wasn't right, but he gently climbed inside to take a better look at her.

_She's grown. She must be taller than me when I was her age._

He saw the wristband on her desk and picked it up.

"How can you_ not_ remember this?" he whispered again. "We made this together."

Naomi's eyelids moved a bit, but she didn't open her eyes.

"Serge?" she mumbled. Donatello's eyes widened.

_Serge? Her late brother? Wait… I remember. She told me they used to invent stuff together before he and their parents died._

He laid his hand on her forehead and patted her head. Naomi's face relaxed again.

"I'm the other brother," whispered Donatello. He took her hand and put the wristband in it. "You can have this."

Naomi's hand grabbed it tightly.

"Goodnight," whispered Donatello. "I mean… goodbye."

Without making any sound, he snuck back to the window. A quick, sudden rustle behind him made him instinctively turn around and take a defensive position.

Naomi was sitting up straight. The first thing she looked at was the wristband in her hand.

"I made this," she whispered to herself.

_She remembers?!_ thought Donatello. He tried to sneak out while he still could, but it was too late. The sound of a gasp made him stop moving.

"Who… w-who's there?" she whispered.

"I-I'm sorry," stuttered Donatello without turning around. "I was just about to leave…"

"Wait," said Naomi. She stepped out of bed and carefully came closer to him.

"It's you," she whispered. "From that night… in the orphanage…"

"G-goodbye," said Donatello quickly. He wanted to get out of here before he changed his mind.

"Wait, hang on," said Naomi, reaching for his arm as Donatello tried to climb out the window. Donatello reacted instinctively. He turned around and grabbed her wrist.

_Oh no… Not a good move…_

Naomi stared at him, eyes wide open, trembling because of the sudden movement. She tried to pull her hand back. Donatello let go of her wrist. Naomi immediately backed off a few steps. Insecurely, she rubbed her wrist, now watching every move he made.

"Umm… sorry," said Donatello. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok," said Naomi. She was still keeping her eyes on him. "It _is_ you… Wow. Never thought I'd see you again. I've gotta be honest, I thought I dreamt it…"

"I shouldn't be here," said Donatello. He shook his head and turned around to the window again.

"Please stay," said Naomi. She was scared to reach out to him again, so she decided no to.

"Why should I?" mumbled Donatello, more to himself than to her. "You don't remember…"

"You know what this is," said Naomi, referring to the wristband. "Don't you?"

Again, he stopped moving.

"That night," continued Naomi, "when I woke up and found you… Next morning, I told myself it was a dream. Then it turned out to be my birthday… Everyone asked me where I had been…"

A feeling of guilt was creeping up to Donatello's chest. He didn't move while he was listening to her.

"And I didn't know," said Naomi. "And I still have no idea."

Finally, Donatello turned to face her. He noticed the gap between them.

_You're scared. How could I've ever thought we could become like we were back then again?_

"I've got the idea that you do," said Naomi.

_Stop. Don't ask me anything. You wouldn't understand._

"Just what are you?" asked Naomi.

_Don't ask me that._

"And what the hell happened to me back then?" asked Naomi. When Donatello looked directly into her eyes, she got startled. She thought he was offended or something. What would happen if you angered a giant turtle?

She blushed. "S-sorry, I'm sorry," she said.

"Look at you," said Donatello. "You've grown so much, you've become a beautiful young woman… and you're scared of me."

"You're a _turtle_, a _mutant_," said Naomi. She immediately regretted it. "Not that… a-anything's wrong with…"

"I'd never, _ever_, hurt you," said Donatello. "And deep down, you know it."

Naomi looked at the wristband again. She felt a connection between the familiar device and the mutant standing at her window.

"I know," she whispered. She held the wristband against her chest. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. She slid down and sat on the floor. "Who are you?" she asked again.

"You still haven't figured it out?" asked Donatello.

Naomi took another look at the wristband.

"Did we… make this together?" she asked. It was more of a guess than a memory.

Donatello took a few steps toward her and crouched.

"What do you think?" asked Donatello.

Naomi sighed again. "I don't know," she whispered. "Are you the guy from the other night?"

Donatello nodded.

"That your real name?" asked Naomi. "Or are you stealing Donatello's alias from him, God rest his soul?"

Donatello smiled. "It's my real name," he said.

Naomi looked into his eyes and smiled shortly.

"Why can't I remember you?" she asked.

"Long story," said Donatello.

"So we did make this together," said Naomi. "Tell me everything, please."

Donatello looked down and saw his hands. Big, green, three fingers… Her hands were small, normal and had five fingers. One of many, many differences between them.

He shook his head. "Your memories were erased for a reason," he said. "I'm a fool. I shouldn't have come here." He stood up and headed for the window again. This time, he wasn't going to turn around again.

"Donatello," said Naomi. "Please… I wanna know."

"I'm sorry, Naomi," whispered Donatello. Slowly, he climbed through the window.

"You'd better come back," was the last thing he heard before he landed on the ground and ran back home.

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**Gahh... done! I've been typing, reading and correcting this chapter for about 4 hours, my eyes can't take much more o_0 But I love doing this, so it's OK =)**

**This morning, when I checked my e-mail, I'd received 18 mails: most of them from FanFiction, about Fav Stories, Alerters, Reviews... You made my day, everyone, seriously. Thank you sooo very, very much for reading and liking my stories! 3**

**Again, for those who haven't done it already, please read the original story "Big Bro Donatello" and my Elfen Lied fanfic "After the Elf Died" (_based on the manga series, not the anime!!_). The Elf is M-rated, so be warned if you're considering to read it. **

**Thank you very much and see you next chapter ^^**


	5. Will We Meet Again?

_That dream again…?_

Naomi woke up and looked at her desk. The wristband was still where she left it before she had gone back to sleep.

_No… I really made that._

She vaguely remembered going to the techno store and working on the little machine.

_But what is it?_

She stood up and picked it up.

_It's so light. Let's see… that __turtle-guy said it was a wristband…_

She put it around her wrist. It was too big.

… _And then?_

She found a button.

_Uh oh… should I…? I made this, after all. How dangerous could it be?_

She pushed it. A see-through turtle shield as big as she was, appeared before her. She stared at it with eyes and mouth wide open.

_Awesome…__ Not bad for a _kid_…_

"Naomi," she heard. "Time to get up. You've got class in an hour."

"I'm already up, Grandpa," she called back. She turned the shield off and put it in a drawer of her desk.

_Better not let Gramps know…_

She looked at the window she had shut after Donatello had left.

_I hope it wasn't a dream. _

******

"She _saw_ you?!" asked Leonardo. "How could you've been so foolish to go out there?! She doesn't know who you are, or even _what_ you are!"

"I didn't mean to wake her," said Donatello. "You should've seen her, Leonardo. She's become a completely different person."

"Stop it, Donatello," said Leonardo. "You're not planning to go back there, are you?"

"_You'd better come back!"_

"I don't see what the problem is," said Raphael laid-back. "Why are you goin' though all this trouble for a brat we met six years ago?"

"You liked her too, you know," said Donatello.

"You don't want to put her in any danger, do you Donatello?" said Leonardo. "Because danger's what she _will_ be put in if she hangs around with us again."

"Of course I don't want that," said Donatello. "I just… let my emotions take over. Doesn't it do anything to you guys?"

"I'd lie if I said that it doesn't," admitted Leonardo. "And I know you're having a hard time, because you were her favourite back then. You obviously liked being a big brother. And as a brother, you should do what's best for her and forget about her."

"Leonardo is right," said Splinter. "It is not safe for her to know any more."

"What d'you mean by 'a completely different person'?" asked Michelangelo. "What's she like then?

"Well, she had a strange style of clothes," said Donatello, "and when I told her my name, she thought I was the spirit of the artist Donatello."

"Whoa, wait," said Leonardo. "You told her your name?!"

"Donatello, how much have you told her?" asked Splinter.

"Nothing," said Donatello quickly. "Just my name. She remembered the wristband all by herself. She kept asking me questions, but I didn't answer them."

"Good," said Leonardo. "So? What're you gonna do now?"

Donatello fell silent.

******

"Nay? Na-hay? Nay!"

Naomi woke up from her thoughts.

"Huh? What is it?" she asked. Her friend gave her an impatient look while tapping her finger on her desk.

"Where the hell did your head go?" asked her friend.

"Oh, sorry Soph," said Naomi. "I had a… weird night. I'm pretty brain dead right now."

"So I noticed," said Sophie. "Could you be so kind and explain it to me?"

"Just a weird dream," lied Naomi. She said it a little too quickly.

"Uh-huh," said Sophie. She took off the knitted hat Naomi was wearing and looked inside it. "Attention, please," she said. "If anyone in here has seen either Nay's brain or her ability to lie, please report to the service desk. We would really like to get them back."

"Ok, ok, point taken," said Naomi. She grasped her hat back and put it back on her head. "Look, I just don't wanna talk about it, ok?"

"Ok, fine," said Sophie. "But we've got a project to finish in umm… now twenty minutes, and we're not there yet. Don't think the teachers will show you mercy if you don't finish it on time, just because you're the young wonder around here."

"Good, good," said Naomi, applauding, "now put all that sarcasm in this model, then we'll definitely get a high grade."

"And you should be inspired by your weird dreams," said Sophie with a grin. "Where d'you think everyone here gets their inspiration from?"

"Thanks, I'll remember that," laughed Naomi.

As they continued their project, Naomi kept thinking about Donatello.

_It _is _pretty random_, she thought._ A giant talking turtle, obviously training, probably martial arts, who invents stuff and messes with people's heads. Boy, do I have a lot of questions to ask him if he ever comes back._

… _Will he?_

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**Yup, another short chapter, I'm afraid. I'm kinda running out of inspiration since everyone in this house seems to need my computer. The internet sucks here, so there.**

**I'll try and make next chapter longer. Until then, please look forward to it ^^ Thank you for reading!**


	6. Four Of A Kind!

It was freezing outside. A thick layer of snow was covering the roads of New York.

"This is too easy," laughed Michelangelo. "Those thugs just kept slipping on the snow!"

"You're one to talk, Michelangelo," said Raphael. "Didn't you just get some snow down your shell, just a moment ago?"

"Well, people don't exactly do snow removal in rooftops, y'know," said Michelangelo.

"Guys, let's stay focussed," said Leonardo.

"And let's keep moving," said Donatello. "As long as our bodies are in motion, we'll stay warm. If we were to stand still in this kind of cold, our body temperature would drop too fast and we…"

"Alright, alright, point taken," said Raphael. "Sheesh, we've been doin' this for years now, Donatello."

"Just saying," said Donatello. "It's important to know why…"

"I know, I know," said Raphael impatiently.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Michelangelo. He pointed down the street beneath them.

Two figures were there. One was standing, the other looked like he was about to strike.

"That guy's in trouble," said Leonardo. "Let's go for it."

"I have a better idea," said Donatello. He picked up some snow and formed a snowball.

"Uhh… you really think that's gonna work?" asked Michelangelo.

"Trust me," said Donatello. "With the right volume and thrown from the right angle…"

He aimed for the individual that had now started running towards the other. He threw it with all his strength and…

_Yes!_

The attacking person got hit in the face and fell down. The other was watching him as the attacker was coughing on order not to choke in the snow he got in his mouth.

"What's that guy just standin' there for?" asked Raphael.

"Run, dude! Run!" shouted Michelangelo. When the person was looking up to see where that voice had come from, they quickly pulled back. They waited.

"Are you ok?" they heard a girl's voice ask from where the two individuals stood.

"What the hell was that?" asked a young guy's voice.

"I have no idea," said the girl. "I think someone was trying to be a hero." She laughed. "Boy, did they get you!"

"Stupid little brats," the Turtles heard the guy say.

"From the roofs? I don't think so," said the girl. "You ok? Think we can still move on with the training?"

"Training?" repeated Leonardo softly. "They were just training?!"

"Wow… do I feel stupid," said Donatello, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh boy," said Raphael. "Out on the street, in the snow? That's…"

"… crazy?" asked Donatello. "I don't think so. I think it's brilliant."

His brothers looked at him in confusion.

"Training in inconvenient places," explained Donatello. "We should train here, too!"

"Are you out of your shell?" asked Raphael.

"Think about it," said Donatello. "We'll improve our fighting skills in this kind of areas and we'll be prepared for anything. Training at a higher level."

"Literally," said Michelangelo.

"Hey, I get it," said Leonardo. "That's not a bad idea. Not bad at all!"

"But not for tonight, I hope?" said Raphael. "I'm still ready for some real action!"

"Yeah, let's move on," said Leonardo. "This was false alarm, anyway."

As everyone stood up, Donatello took a moment to carefully look over the edge of the roof. It was only one person standing there now.

_Guess that guy really got pissed_, thought Donatello. _Hang on… Is that…?_

The girl was staring at him. Donatello quickly stepped back from the edge, out of her sight.

_Oh shell, i__t's Naomi! She saw me!_

Naomi had seen Donatello only as a shade on the rooftop, but she had felt it was him.

_So you _are_ still around_, she thought. _And this time, I'm wide awake. Now I _know_ you're real._

"Donatello?" asked Leonardo. "What's wrong?"

Donatello was not going to lie to them. "It's her," he said.

"What?" asked Leonardo. He stepped toward the edge of the rooftop, but Donatello stopped him.

"Wait," he said. "She's looking this way. You can't look now, you'll reveal yourself."

"You think she's still looking this way?" asked Leonardo. He got on his hands and knees and carefully looked over the edge. "There's no one there," he said.

"Huh?" Donatello followed his example and looked over the edge again. She was gone.

"What the…?" he whispered.

"Maybe she didn't see it was you," said Leonardo. "Maybe she went home. Let's go."

"Yeah," said Donatello, staring at where Naomi had stood just a minute ago. "You're… probably right."

"Oh my God, there's _four_ of you?!" they suddenly heard behind them. All four Turtles turned around and saw the girl climbing over the edge of the roof. Her eyes and mouth were wide open with shock.

"What the… how did you… but…" stammered Donatello, looking from the place where she had stood to where she was now.

She was leaning on the roof gutter. It was cracking. The next second, it was starting to break down and Naomi grabbed the rooftop's edge. When she tried to climb up, she put her foot on the breaking gutter for support. But it let go of the wall.

"Naomi!" shouted Donatello. Leonardo acted in a flash. Naomi lost her grip, but Leonardo caught her hand just in time.

"Gotcha!" he said.

Leonardo pulled her up. Naomi was too busy staring into his eyes to move on her own. Leonardo lifted her up and carried her to the middle of the rooftop. Naomi looked at the others.

_There's four of them…_

She finally pulled herself together and struggled in Leonardo's arms.

"Hey, let go of me!" she yelled. "Put me down!"

"Whoa, easy there, lady," said Leonardo, trying to keep his balance. "I just saved you, remember?"

"I can walk on my own! Let go!"

"Shh! You want the whole neighbourhood to hear ya?!" said Raphael.

Leonardo put her down and Naomi leisurely calmed down.

"That's Naomi?" asked Michelangelo. "Wow, Donatello, you were right! She _has_ grown tall! And look at the clothes!"

Naomi was wearing a long, wide-sleeved black coat, a ridiculously long scarf and the strangest hat, with cat ears and sleepy looking eyes on it. What must her regular clothes be like?

"Michelangelo!" snapped Donatello at him. "Careful what you say!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," said Naomi. She stood up and wept the snow off her legs. "You guys all know who I am?"

"Nice goin', Michelangelo," said Raphael.

"It's best if you forget about all this," said Leonardo.

"I already have forgotten _something_," snapped Naomi back. She looked at all of them. "Right?"

The Turtles looked at each other.

"What should we do now?" whispered Donatello to Leonardo. Leonardo sighed. "I… guess I don't have any other choice…"

"What do you mean?" asked Naomi insecurely as Leonardo took a step towards her. He vanished and appeared behind her. Naomi froze.

"I'm sorry, Naomi," he said.

She felt a light bump on the side of her neck. Darkness surrounded her, consumed her immediately.

"It's for her own good," said Leonardo. "When she wakes up, she'll think it was just a dream. Donatello, you know where she lives. You should bring her home."

Donatello nodded, picked Naomi up and took off to her house. The others stared after them.

"You're right, Michelangelo," said Raphael. "She has a… pretty interesting style of clothes…"

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**Finally, I finished this chapter, I've been working on it since this morning (no class tomorrow ftw xD). **

**Still looking for the right timing to place a super special awesome plot twist (YGO Abridged fan :P). Until then, I'm letting the bond between the Turtles and Naomi get just a liiiittle stronger ;-) **

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


	7. Decision

"How come we keep bumping into her?" asked Donatello.

"No, _you_ keep bumping into her," said Leonardo.

"Does she always wear hats like that?" asked Raphael.

The next morning, the Turtles were sitting at the _kotatsu_ Donatello made 4 years ago. A kotatsu is a lower table, heated by an infra-red heating element. It's covered by a thicker kind of table cloth, in order to keep the air underneath it warm. These are very popular in Japan during winter months. Donatello made this after Splinter had told him about the winters back in Japan when he was little. He used to spend hours sitting at the kotatsu, spending time with his family.

"Maybe it's like, fate or something," said Michelangelo.

"Aaaand now you're talking like an artist," sighed Raphael. "Who believes in vague stuff like fate? Donatello, don't tell me…"

"No," said Donatello. "That's just vague, illogical nonsense. It was probably just stupid coincidence."

"So you call mutants, trained in ninjutsu, who saved the world from an evil ninja clan and travelled from dimension to dimension… logical?" asked Michelangelo rhetorically.

"Maybe she's following you," said Raphael.

"Don't be so paranoid, Raphael," said Donatello.

"Well we've gotta stop meeting her like that," said Leonardo. "It's bad enough that she saw Donatello, but when she finds out there's really four of us… You saw how she reacted, right?"

"It is not surprising that Naomi is confused right now," said Splinter. "She has almost no memories of the month before her 10th birthday."

Donatello looked down.

_I should tell them…_

"Everyone," he started, "there's something… I haven't told you."

Everyone looked at him. Finally, Donatello looked back up.

"That night I brought Naomi back to the orphanage…" He paused. He buried his face in one hand and shook his head. He sighed and looked at his brothers and former master.

"She woke up while I was still in the room," he said.

"She woke up?" repeated Raphael.

"And then? Did she see you?" asked Leonardo, half standing up. Splinter gestured for him to sit back down, and he did.

"Yes," said Donatello. "I… got stuck when I was trying to hide from her." A slight blush appeared on his cheeks. He felt embarrassed.

"She found me and… helped me out," he finished.

"How did she react to you?" asked Splinter.

"That's the weird thing, master," said Donatello. "She wasn't surprised, shocked or anything. Well… maybe a little startled and… very curious… but she was not scared."

"You mean, like yesterday?" asked Michelangelo.

A short silence.

"Yeah… somewhat like yesterday," answered Donatello. "And you know… That's why I think that the bond between us and her is the only thing that hasn't been erased."

A longer silence.

"Perhaps you're right," said Leonardo. "I mean, any normal human would be scared to death if they saw us."

"From what I've seen and heard, she's not a normal human," said Raphael. "She thought she was speaking to a dead artist, for cryin' out loud."

"I think even someone like her would find this weird, Raphael," said Leonardo.

"Maybe… we should give her a chance, you guys," said Michelangelo. Everyone looked at him. "I mean… April and Irma are humans too, right?" he explained. "So like, why can't Naomi know about us?"

"She's a _kid_," said Raphael.

"Uh… no offense, Raphael, but she's about as old as we were when we started fighting crime," said Leonardo. "That… doesn't mean I agree with Michelangelo," he added quickly when everyone looked at him in surprise.

"What if I were to go visit her from time to time?" asked Donatello. "That won't hurt, right?"

"Why?" asked Leonardo.

"Because, Leonardo…" started Donatello with a raised voice, but then he forced himself to be calm. "Because… she's still family."

Another long silence.

"Remember what we once said?" asked Donatello. "She lost her parents and her brother…"

"… but she gained four brothers and a… what did she call you, Sensei?" asked Michelangelo.

"Uncle," answered Splinter with a smile. "Yes, I remember."

"So what do you say, Sempai?" asked Leonardo.

"I still think that it is best for Naomi not to know about us," said Splinter. "However, she already knows of Donatello's existence. If your plan worked, Leonardo, Donatello must be the only one whom she is sure of he exists. Donatello, if you are sure that you can keep our secret safe… then you can go visit her from time to time. Just make sure no one sees you."

"I will," said Donatello. "Thank you, master."

"Hey, what about us?" asked Michelangelo. "I wanna see her again, too. She's _our_ sister, too."

"Don't worry, Michelangelo," said Donatello. "I'll figure something out."

_Maybe I'll wait before I go out there again. Just to make sure she doesn't think she's become crazy. After all that therapy back then, the odds of that could be big. I'll wait. I'll wait for another… two weeks or so. Maybe then she'll be able to handle it._

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**Yes, this is really just a "filler" chapter until I come up with some new inspiration. **

**Anyways, if you're wondering why this is T-rated, well... that's because things are going to get violent when a plot twist takes place in about another 2 or 3 chapters, so...**

**Thanks for reading, please do let me know what you think of this story (and its "prequel" "Big Bro Donatello"), and I'll see you next chapter ^^**


	8. Promise

**Yes, it's finally here. I'm so sorry it took so long, but apparently my laptop couldn't be fixed right away, so it's sent back to the factory. And because of this, I had to re-write the whole chapter on my Dad's computer T ^ T**

**Anyways, this chappie is about twice as long as normal, so I hope you'll hang on until the end of the page. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Donatello was hiding in the bushes next to Naomi's house.

_Man, it sure is convenient that people in this area all have these bushes in their front yards. They make hiding so much easier!_

He looked up to the window of Naomi's room. He could hear music and voices. She was not alone.

_Sounds like she's having a party… maybe I should come back some other day._

He ducked when he heard someone open the window.

"Whew, fresh air!" he heard an unfamiliar voice say. "Seriously, Nay, you should get that heater fixed."

"I know," sounded Naomi's ever so familiar voice. "Gramps said someone will come over to take a look at it."

"Well, if this someone's looks can fix, then be my guest," answered a third voice.

"Anyways, listen to this," said Naomi. Just a second later, Donatello could hear her put up another song. It started with strange but soothing sounds, before an ocarina sounded. Leisurely, an orchestra came up on the background. Then suddenly, every sound disappeared. For about two or three seconds, it was completely silent. This silence was interrupted by the loud sound of drums and the orchestra playing the same melody a lot faster and louder. This was no longer classical music, this was… it didn't even have a clear style. The ocarina sounded again, much louder and much more freely in its melody.

_Just what kind of music do these kids listen to?_ wondered Donatello. He kept listening to the music, which went on for another two minutes before it died away.

"So, what do you think, Soph?" asked Naomi.

"It's perfect!" answered an enthusiastic voice. "Nay, you're the best!"

"I agree," said the other voice. "I'm sure the professors will love it!"

"Oh, right, Taa-chan, I'd like to see your new drawings," said Naomi. "Soph keeps telling me how good they are, but I need to see for myself before I believe anything_ she_ says."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's a little late to go to my house, but you can come tomorrow. Soph too, of course!"

"I'm sorry, ladies," sounded the voice of an old man, "but I just got a phone call from Takara's aunt. They want you to go home."

"Thank you, Grandfather," said Takara.

"Yeah, I think I'll go, too," said Sophie. "Great music, Nay. It's made of awesome!"

"Thanks," said Naomi. "Now scram, I'm gonna hit the sheets, too."

"Ok, see ya tomorrow," said Sophie.

"Good night," said Takara.

"Oh, Taa-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Onaka wo kashimasu yoooo," said Naomi, followed by a short silence.

"Nay, I'm sorry to say this, but… please stop trying to speak Japanese," said Takara. "You really suck at it."

"What did I say?" laughed Naomi. But the next sound Donatello heard was a door being shut. He moved a little away from the street side before Naomi's friends stepped out of the house.

"What _did_ she say, Taa-chan?" he heard Sophie ask.

"That she'll lend her stomach to me," answered Takara dryly. Sophie burst out laughing.

"I heard that!" Donatello was a little startled at the shout from Naomi's window. "Don't take whatever I said seriously!"

"I never do!" was the last reply before the two disappeared. Naomi laughed shortly before everything became quiet again. Donatello didn't move for another minute before he looked up to the window. But what he was looking at, were two toxic green eyes, and a face filled with amusement.

"Are you gonna come over here or not?" she asked with a grin. "Don't be so surprised. I knew you'd come back."

Donatello sighed and climbed up the wall. Naomi stepped back to give him some space to climb in. She grabbed the chair from her desk and put it next to the window. Donatello climbed in, but seemed to hesitate to take the chair.

"Don't worry," said Naomi, sitting down on the edge of her bed, "I've removed the bear trap." Donatello looked at her and laughed.

"No, seriously, it's over there," said Naomi. She pointed at the corner next to her desk. And yes, there it was: a huge bear trap. Donatello's eyes widened.

Naomi laughed at the nervous look Donatello gave her. "Relax!" she laughed. "It's fake. A Halloween decoration. It's still lying here, because I'm too lazy to clean it up."

"Oh," was Donatello's reaction, followed by a nervous laugh. Slowly, he sat down. He looked from the fake bear trap to the computer on her desk. He had never seen that program before. He could see musical notes and instruments on the edges of the screen.

_Wait a minute…_

"Did _you_ make that music?!" he asked in surprise.

Naomi looked surprised at the question, but then her face flushed a little and she nodded. "Yeah, it's for this project I'm doing with those two who just left."

"Incredible," gasped Donatello. "How did you come up with that kind of music? It's so… different."

"Oh, I started hearing this song inside my head when I was 12," answered Naomi shyly.

"Oh." Donatello looked at his feet. _A lot of things have happened to us during the past few years_, he thought. He looked at Naomi again, who was embracing her knees and leaning back against her pillow against the wall. _I haven't seen you grown, Sis. I'm sorry._

"Donatello?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you come back?"

Donatello's eyes widened. He knew why, but he couldn't tell her. _Because I care about you_, he thought. _I wanted to see what you've become._

"I know we have some kind of history together," said Naomi. "Including those other three."

A shiver went down Donatello's spine.

"W-what do you mean, 'other three'?" he asked as casually as possible.

"Oh come on," said Naomi strictly. "I know that was real. I saw you on that rooftop. And by the looks on your faces, I could tell that all of you knew who I am."

"Naomi…"

"Don't bother. Just tell me how we met back then, and why I can't remember you guys."

"…"

"Donatello, please."

Donatello was struggling to forget his own selfish thoughts. _She knows about the others, so what's the point of hiding anymore? As long as I don't tell her where we live, she won't find us anyway… no, I can't think like this. But still…_He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. _What should I do?_

Naomi stood up from her bed, came to stand right in front of Donatello and crouched. The curious face of the teenager was now impossible to miss. Her green eyes were looking into his, pleading.

"I'd love to tell you, you know," said Donatello softly. For a second, the teenage girl turned back into a nine-year-old.

"Then tell me," said Naomi softly, her eyes almost hypnotising him. "What are you so afraid of?"

"For you to get hurt," answered Donatello.

"How could I possibly get hurt from knowing about you?" asked Naomi.

"Listen, even if I told you everything, would you understand?" asked Donatello strictly.

Just when Naomi was about to answer, the two of them shot up when they heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Grandpa…" whispered Naomi. "Quick, hide!"

Donatello had already disappeared from the room.

Harry knocked on her door. "Naomi? I thought Sophie and Takara left. Who's still in there?"

"No one, Gramps," answered Naomi. Meanwhile she was looking under her bed, in her closet, but she couldn't find a trace of Donatello.

"Oh, I thought I heard something… Are you decent? Can I come in?" asked Harry.

"Yeah," said Naomi hesitantly. She took one final look around. Donatello was really gone. "Sure, come in."

Harry entered the bedroom. Naomi stood right in the middle of the room, trying to act cool.

"I thought I heard a… male voice?" he gave her a suspicious look. Naomi suppressed a shiver. _Damn, good hearing aid_, she thought.

"I was… chatting." She hated lying to her foster parent, but she couldn't tell him she was talking to a mutant Turtle. "You know, on the Internet."

The old man looked at her computer.

"I just closed the chat room," improvised Naomi. She faked a yawn. "I'm really tired. I'm going to bed."

"Yes," said Harry, still not quite convinced. "But just so you know: young men are not always looking for love. At your age, all they think about is…"

"Grandpa!" interrupted Naomi, just in time. An embarrassed blush coloured her cheeks a light red. "I'll be careful, alright?"

"Ok, ok," said Harry. "Just saying, I was once young, too."

"Good night, Gramps," said Naomi with a forced smile. Harry returned the fake smile with a real one.

"Good night, Naomi," he said as he left the room. Naomi closed the door behind him. She waited until she heard the door of his bedroom close. Then she looked around. "Donatello?" she asked softly.

"Is he gone?" she heard him ask from the window.

"Yeah," said Naomi. "Hopefully he'll take off his hearing aid soon. He actually hates that thing."

Donatello climbed back in.

"By the way, Donatello was not a painter," said Naomi. Donatello looked at her.

"Oh?" he asked.

"He was a sculptor," explained Naomi. She put her hands on her hips. "You never looked up the man whom you're named after?"

"Actually… no," admitted Donatello. "Strange… it never even crossed my mind."

Naomi chuckled. Donatello smiled at her.

"Listen," he said. "I'll tell you the highlights, but I won't go in detail."

"Ok," said Naomi. "That's a start." She smirked evilly at the face Donatello made. Donatello shook his head and sat back on the chair.

"Ok," he started. "When we first met, you were running away from the orphanage. You got attacked by a group of thugs and we… saved you."

Naomi's eyes widened.

"You were unconscious," continued Donatello, "so we took you home with us."

"I guess it wasn't easy for you when I woke up," said Naomi.

Donatello laughed. "It sure wasn't," he said. "But that wasn't for long. After you tried to run away from us, we found you and after a little while, you accepted where you were, and our situation. You stayed with us for about a month, I think. Then we made that wristband together."

"I used to help my brother with his inventions," said Naomi.

"You know," said Donatello softly, "that time, you became _our_ sister as well."

Naomi's eyes widened, instantly filling themselves with tears. She rubbed her eyes and suppressed a sob. Donatello looked at her.

"I'm sorry," said Naomi, forcing a smile. "It's just that… I always knew that Grandpa wasn't the only one who took me into his family. I knew I had more family out there. You know… even though we're not blood-related."

Donatello hesitated before he stood up and reached his hand out to her. When Naomi looked at his approaching hand, he stopped. But when Naomi didn't protest or turn away, he patted her head like he used to when she was nine. It brought back memories to him, but he knew she wouldn't remember.

"After we said goodbye…" he said, but hesitated again. Naomi looked up, her eyes questioning. Donatello withdrew his hand and sat back on the chair, shaking his head.

"If you don't wanna tell me, you don't have to," said Naomi reluctantly.

"Would you… like it if one of my… _our_ brothers… came to visit you next time?" asked Donatello in order to change the subject.

Naomi looked into his eyes. "Next time?" she repeated. "And when's that?"

"I don't know," said Donatello. "Whenever you're home. In a few days, I guess."

"How about I come to _your_ place?" proposed Naomi. "Then I can meet all of you—"

"No."

The steady look in his eyes crossed the surprised look in hers.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go to our place," said Donatello. "It's dangerous."

Naomi crossed her arms. "Hmm, a nine-year-old can live at your place, but for the older version of the same girl it's too dangerous?" she asked rhetorically. When Donatello opened his mouth to protest, she said: "Ok, fine. I guess I can't have all four of you here with Grandpa across the hall, huh? Oh, wait. He said something about visiting some old friends of his across town next weekend. How about all of you come over next Saturday?"

Donatello thought for a minute. "You're not inviting your friends too, right? We can't be seen by anyone."

"I promise there'll be no other human than yours truly," she said with a small bow before she looked at him with a smirk. Donatello laughed.

"Ok, it's a deal," he said. "Next Saturday, all of us."

"Deal," said Naomi.

"Now get some sleep, ok?" said Donatello.

"Yeah, yeah," said Naomi. "You get outta here in case Gramps comes back."

"See you Saturday."

"Yeah. Bye."

* * *

**Yay! You made it! ^^ I hope you also _liked_ it, though. Anyway, after the next chapter comes the T-rated part... I think. It'll probably take some time for me to upload that one, too. With 3 computer addicted people (including myself) and only 1 computer that actually _works_, it's very hard to get some time to write. But I'll try my best! ^^**


	9. First Meeting, All Over Again

**Fyi: the book Naomi is reading, is really something I once wrote in a weblog and I'd like to share my opinion with you :)**

* * *

"_If I could live every single day without any regret, I could die a happy person at any moment. I would no longer fear death, and have peace with it when my moment comes._"

Naomi put her book down when she heard noises coming from outside. She stood up from her bed, opened her window and looked outside.

"Donatello?" she whispered. "Guys?"

"Is the coast clear?" whispered Donatello back from the bushes.

"How should I know? I can't see the coast from here," said Naomi. Donatello and Leonardo looked at each other, neither of them sure if she was joking or not. "Wait there," said Naomi, "I'll come down and open the back door for you."

In less a minute, the Turtles heard a door opening and footsteps coming their way. They stayed hidden, just in case.

"You guys in there?" whispered Naomi. "It's ok. No one's around."

Slowly, all four of the Turtles stood up. As Naomi watched them appear from the thick bushes, she felt somewhat nervous. _Ok, this is really weird_, she thought to herself. She felt herself shiver a little. She wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because of them.

"Umm… hi," she said, a hint of anxiety in her voice. "Let's… get inside, ok?"

Leonardo could sense the nerves coming from the teen. He had never fully agreed to coming here in the first place. But Donatello seemed so sure about this…

The Turtles hesitated when they stood in front of the back door.

"You can come in," said Naomi. "Grandpa's staying with some old friends. He won't be back until tomorrow."

Donatello was the first to (carefully) enter the house, followed by his brothers. Michelangelo closed the door behind him.

Naomi looked at the four Turtles standing in the large kitchen. She felt a little strange. Their presence felt familiar, yet distant.

"S-so, umm…" she started nervously. "Donatello told me you used to look after me for a while when I was a kid. Thanks for that."

"No problem," said the Turtle with the orange mask with a smirk. "It's great to see you again, Sis!"

Naomi smiled at him. "Come on in," she said, gesturing to the living room. She looked at the Turtles as they entered the living room and looked around before they settled down.

"Are you nervous?" whispered Donatello. Naomi looked at him.

"For some reason, yeah," she whispered back.

Donatello smiled. "Don't be," he said softly. "Just be you, ok?"

Naomi took a deep breath before she started conversation.

"Ok, so you all know who _I_ am," she said to the four Turtles, "but what are _your_ names?"

"This is Michelangelo, you've already met Donatello, and that's Raphael," said Leonardo. "And I'm Leonardo."

Naomi looked surprised. "… Da Vinci?" she asked. "You're all named after artists from the Renaissance?" The Turtles just nodded. "Wow… that's really cool," said Naomi. "Well, nice to meet you guys."

"That's really weird to hear from you," laughed Michelangelo. "You've really changed over the years."

"Yeah," said Raphael. "Speaking of which, nice umm… outfit?"

Naomi was wearing a knitted hat, goggles on her forehead, a choker with a silver musical note hanging from it, a very wide-sleeved top with some kind of symbol printed on it, a skirt and slippers that looked like frogs.

"Umm… thanks?" she said hesitantly.

"Are you an artist, by any chance?" asked Raphael. Donatello, who was sitting next to him, elbowed him in the upper arm and gave him a look.

"Actually, yes I am," answered Naomi. "I'm different from other people, ok?" A short, awkward silence filled the room. "Have you ever met any other humans besides me?" she asked finally.

The four brothers looked at each other. They had discussed what to do if she would ask that question and they had agreed not to lie to her.

"Yes," said Leonardo. Naomi looked at him. "I see," she said, somewhat sadly. The next question hung in the air, but before Naomi could ask anything, Leonardo started his explanation: "It's been about six years now and a lot has changed. Not too long after you left, we met another person. A reporter. Just like you, she was scared at first, but then it turned out that we had the same target. She promised not to tell anyone about us if we helped her with her story. So we did, and eventually, we became friends."

"And she got to stay in contact with you?" asked Naomi.

"… Yes," answered Leonardo. "Even though we haven't heard much from her lately."

"But then… Is it possible for us to stay in contact from now on?" asked Naomi hopefully.

"Naomi, you _have_ to understand," said Leonardo strictly, "our bond is different. You're still a child. It's too dangerous for you to hang out with us."

"I can't be that much younger than you when you became… what are you, ninjas?" snapped Naomi back.

"We've trained all our lives," said Leonardo calmly. "We're also stronger than most humans."

"Well _I _was trained in kyūsho-jitsu since I was 10," said Naomi. Everyone stared at her in surprise. "Like what you did to me a few weeks ago, Leonardo," she explained. "I know everything about pressure points of the body and how to temporarily paralyze limbs. Even how to make a person unconscious."

"Is that what you were training the other day?" asked Leonardo. "On the street?"

"Yeah," said Naomi. "Which reminds me: I still have to thank whoever chased my training partner away by throwing that snowball."

Donatello felt a shiver go down his spine. The guilty expression on his face gave him away. Naomi looked at him and smirked widely. "That was so awesome!" she said. "I mean, you got him right in the face! He was really pissed off!" Michelangelo couldn't help but chuckle as well.

As evening slowly turned into night, the Turtles and Naomi enjoyed their reunion until it was time for the boys to go home and for her to go to sleep.

* * *

**I know, this is another short one, but I'm a little eager to start writing the climax of the story xD It'll probably take another few days, but for now: thank you for reading so far! ^^**


	10. Kidnapping

Two months passed and turned winter into spring. The new year was a year of changes. And yes, a lot had changed. The bond between the Turtles and Naomi had had its ups and downs, mainly because Naomi wanted to join them on their patrol from time to time, but the Turtles didn't want her to. She wouldn't be able to keep up with them, but more importantly, she could be recognized. Eventually, she accepted the fact that they didn't want her to go with them. She did, however, receive the number of Donatello's Turtle Comm, so she could always call them if she needed help.

******

"Donatello! Guys!"

"You've gotta be kiddin'!" mumbled Raphael.

"Naomi, what do you think you're doing?" asked Donatello.

"Two things: one, this shield-wristband-thing is starting to break. And two, I wanna show you guys what I can do."

"You already did," said Leonardo strictly. "When you insisted to train with us, we gave in, and it turned out you're not fast enough to keep up with us."

"That's not true," protested Naomi.

"How long did it take for you to get up here?" asked Leonardo.

Naomi was still panting from climbing all the way up the rooftop they were standing on.

"Two minutes," answered Naomi. Leonardo crossed his arms and gave her a look. In these past two months, Naomi had noticed there was no lying against the Turtles. She sighed. "… Plus five," she admitted.

"See? We got up here in four, maybe five seconds," said Leonardo. "And we're not gonna carry you."

"Fine," mumbled Naomi. "But Donatello, could you fix this thing for me? I've… kinda lost my touch."

"Listen, I'll fix it someday," said Donatello. "But not now. We're really busy."

"But…"

"Go home, Naomi," said Raphael.

"Urgh! Fine! I'm going. But not because you told me to… Gregory House," said Naomi.

"Got it, weirdo," said Raphael with a smirk.

"We'll see you soon, ok?" said Donatello. A little wave from everyone and they moved on, leaving Naomi behind.

"Ok. Bye…"

******

_Just who do they think they are, anyway? I can keep up with them__ if I _want_ to… Still, they're always busy. After only a few months, they've already practically forgotten about me._

Naomi stopped walking when a thought popped up in her head.

_Maybe they already got bored of me._

"Hey, watch it! You're blocking my way!" A man pushed her aside, but Naomi caught herself back on her feet before she could fall. She stared after the man, irritated.

_Do they really even see me as a sister? Do they even still wanna hang out with me? Or is hanging out something they see as an obligation, because I want to see them? I'm the one who made them reveal themselves to me in the first place._

A gloomy feeling inside.

_Am I a burden to them?_

Her eyes started to fill themselves with tears as she walked on. She walked around a corner to find an empty street. She wiped away the few tears that escaped from her eyes.

_Stop f__eeling sorry for yourself, Nay. You're not a kid anymore._

A car stopped in the middle of a street and a portal opened. A man came out and ran directly towards Naomi. Naomi reacted instinctively and moved aside on the last moment, so that the man almost fell over. He recovered himself quickly and turned to Naomi again, his fist ready to knock her out. Naomi found an opening when he held his fist up, and hit him in the middle of one shoulder. The man's arm collapsed, hanging powerlessly beside his body.

"You… little…" mumbled the man, shocked at the feeling as if his arm was gone.

"What the hell do you want from me?" asked Naomi, standing in a defensive position. "Who are you?"

Suddenly, she was in someone else's grip and a piece of fabric with a strange odour was pressed against her mouth. She was feeling dizzy. The world was spinning around her.

"Hello, Dianthe." The voice echoed and died away, and everything turned black.

******

Raphael laughed. "Incredible!" he said. "He actually wet himself when Michelangelo tied 'em up!" He burst out laughing.

"Shhh! You want all of New York to hear you?" warned Leonardo. "Save it for when we get home."

"Well let's go," said Michelangelo. "I really, _really_ need to take a shower. This is too gross. My feet are all wet."

"Yeah, and the fact that you slipped in the stuff didn't help much, either," said Raphael. "Pee-yoo!" He held his breath, trying his best not to burst out laughing again.

"And I thought the sewers smelled bad," said Michelangelo.

"I know," said Donatello, pinching his nose closed. "If we beed ady bad guys ub here, Bicheladgelo's stench'll drive 'eb away."

"I didn't understand a word you just said, Donatello," said Leonardo. "Ok, this is really bad. We can't go unnoticed with this stench. Let's go home."

"Umm…" Donatello stopped. His brothers followed his example and looked at him. "I think I'll go to Naomi's and apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" asked Raphael.

"You saw the way she looked when we left," said Donatello.

"She's a _teen_," said Raphael. "Teens, especially girls, are way too sensitive anyway."

"'_Frailty, thy name is woman'_," quoted Michelangelo.

"I know, I know," said Donatello. "But you have to admit, we're not spending much time with her."

"True," said Leonardo. "That's because we can't skip our patrols every night and she can't come visit us at day."

"I know," said Donatello. "That's why I'm gonna talk to her about it. Maybe we'll think of something."

Leonardo stared at him for a few seconds before he said: "Alright then."

Donatello nodded and turned around.

"Say hi to the weirdo for me," said Raphael.

"From me too," said Michelangelo, raising his hand to wave. Raphael and Leonardo both took a step away from him.

"Michelangelo, please… don't wave," said Leonardo, covering his mouth with his hand like a mask. "You're spreading the stench."

"Oh… sorry," said Michelangelo. He lowered his arm. When he looked in front of him again, Donatello was already gone.

******

"Naomi?"

Donatello climbed through the window of her bedroom, but found nobody inside.

_She should've been here by now_, he thought. _Something's not right. I've got a bad feeling._

He grabbed his Turtle Comm and dialled Naomi's phone number.

******

The sound of the "Banana Phone" ring tone coming from her pocket woke Naomi up. At first, everything was blurry, but her vision cleared as a man grabbed the cell phone out of her pocket and looked on the display. He laughed.

"Donatello?" he said. "Nice nickname. I like his work." He denied the call and threw the phone on the floor.

Naomi found herself cuffed to a wall, her arms spread and her ankles cuffed as well, so that she couldn't move at all.

"What the hell is all this?" she asked.

"I don't blame you for not remembering," said the older man. "After all, I have something to settle with your previous life… Dianthe."

"Who the hell is Dianthe?" asked Naomi, squirming in the uncomfortable position. "My name's Naomi!"

The man stood closer to her, too close, and laid his hand on her cheek.

"I've waited for this for seventeen years," he said. "You've become quite the beauty… even with this…" – with the other hand, he took the goggles off her head and looked at them – "… different way of dressing yourself." He looked back at Naomi. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" he said with a smirk. He let go of Naomi and took a step back.

"My name is Alexio. I am a member of the Golden Wing. Does that ring a bell to you, young Dianthe?"

"Not at all," said Naomi, losing her patience. "And I don't care, just what do you want from me?!"

When the cell phone started to ring again, Alexio stamped on it until it stopped.

"Let me give you a little history lesson," he said. "A story about Dianthe: your previous life."

******

_Naomi, if you're denying my calls because you're angry, then it's not funny. Still… I have a feeling something's wrong. Very, very wrong. I'd better call the others and look for her._

"Hey, Donatello. What's wrong?" asked Leonardo when he saw his brother's troubled face on the display of his Turtle Comm.

"Leonardo, Naomi's not here," said Donatello. His voice was shaking. "I think something happened. We've gotta find her."

"Ok, don't panic," said Leonardo calmly. "Stay there. We'll meet up with you."

Donatello looked out the window.

_Naomi… Hang in there. We're coming for you._

* * *

**Next chapter: the background story of Dianthe. I'll upload it as soon as possible ^^ Once again, thanks for reading!**

**P.S. For those who didn't know: Michelangelo's quote was from William Shakespeare ;-)**


	11. The Tale Of Dianthe

**PLEASE READ THIS FIRST:**

**In order to prevent confusion amongst some of you: this fic is based on the 1987 series, NOT the 2003 series! For those who haven't seen the '87 series: **

**Turtle Comm = Shell Cell; Turtle Van = Battle Shell. So there ^^ **

**And for the record, if you're planning to look up the Golden Wing, I made the name up in a moment of not-creativity. It could be anything in real life, I dunno. But the Golden Wing mentioned below here, is fictional. **

**Now I'm letting you read this chapter in peace. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"The Golden Wing is one of the largest mobs in the world. We are located in a large part of Europe and a part of Asia. The story of Dianthe starts in Greece.

I met your previous self almost twenty years ago by accident. You see, I had this special… _house_… for young women. I made a big profit out of them. Unfortunately, some of these women decided to kill themselves.

Then one day, a beautiful young woman passed by and came in. She couldn't see the prostitutes, because I made them stay in the basement until they were needed. But you can't blame me for that, now can you? Anyway, it looked like someone gave her the wrong address. And boy, was she unlucky to bump into me back there. I took a good look and I saw a lot of potential for her. I took her for a stroll around the back yard, asking about her personality. Then finally, I asked her name. Her name was Dianthe. I said: 'Well, Dianthe, how about you work for me? I think you're exactly the kind of person I could use in my business.'

But inconveniently, one of the bodyguards just came into the back yard through the back door, dragging along one of the girls that had run away. She had several wounds and bruises. I told him to get his ass back into the house and for the rest of them to keep an eye on the girls inside. And when I looked back at Dianthe, I knew I had already lost her trust.

Next thing I knew, she looked at me with insanely mad eyes and punched her little lady fist into my face. I drew my knife and pointed it at her. A few guards came outside, but I told them to stay back and not do anything. And just when I thought I had her cornered, ready to join my business, she took a large kitchen knife out of her bag and pointed it at me. I don't know why she was carrying that thing around in the first place.

Anyway, she told me she was not interested in my 'so-called business' and that she was going to end it. I lost my patience and tried to strike my knife into her, but she blocked my attack with her own, much larger knife, and managed to push me down. I had to tell the guards once again that they had to stay back.

I asked her what she was planning to do now. Kill me? Rule number one, young Naomi, never kill a member of the Golden Wing. But no, Dianthe wasn't planning to kill me. She was going put an end to this, she said. Of course, I didn't see her as a threat. I stood up and told the guards to take her inside… and make sure she would never get out. They took her knife away and dragged her inside without too much effort. But clearly, they had underestimated her and she somehow managed to escape. And I thought I'd never hear from her again.

I was wrong. A few weeks later, I got a very disturbing phone call. It seemed that she had established a small group to set my girls free and put them in safety. The police wouldn't believe her until she showed up with _my_ _girls_. I was ruined and had to flee out of the country, but I had already sent some of my men after her. She was going to pay for ruining me.

It took a while, with the police around her all the time. But finally, I got my hands on her and had her brought to the torturing room.

Yes, our family deals with things in a different way. The Golden Wing uses ancient torturing methods that were almost forgotten by humanity. Pity, really. These methods are so simple, yet so painful. It's perfect. I'll go into that subject later on.

Anyway, now there really was no way out for Dianthe and she knew it. She showed no fear, telling me that she was willing to take any kind of torture I had planned for her. She regretted nothing. And she wasn't going to scream, or cry, or plead for her life. She said she wouldn't let me have the pleasure of watching her squirm. A very noble thought indeed. However, when I came back to start the procedure, Dianthe was already dead."

Naomi widened her eyes at hearing Alexio's story.

"Heart attack," explained Alexio. "See the irony in this story? One moment she's so noble, ready to become the girls' scapegoat, the next moment… dead." He laughed.

"I'm gonna ask you once again, nutcase," said Naomi impatiently. "What does all this have to do with _me_?"

Alexio stopped laughing and ran a finger alongside her face down her chin.

"You're the reincarnation of my old enemy," said Alexio. "The enemy who still hasn't paid her debt to me." His finger continued its way down her neck. Naomi shivered.

"And now that I have finally found you," he whispered, "you're going to pay."

"How can you be so sure it's me?" asked Naomi. She noticed that her voice was shaking.

Alexio smiled briefly. "That's also unique about the Golden Wing," he said. "People never get away with it, when they get in our way. Not even death can save them from the fate we call upon them."

"Fate… is not in your hands," said Naomi. "No one can control that."

"That's how _you_ feel about it," said Alexio.

"Me and any other sane person," said Naomi. "You're crazy."

"Oh really?" asked Alexio. "You're starting to sound more and more like the Dianthe I knew. Anyway, when a person dies before we have punished them, we will look for them. Do you believe in reincarnation? I do. Because it _is_ real."

He took something out of his pocket and held it in front of her face. It was some kind of stone, shaped like a drop, hanging from a cord. It was spinning around strongly.

"You see, this is a pendulum. It's a device that can sense your aura, wherever you are," explained Alexio. "This one was designed especially for you. Your aura and life energy are exactly the same as Dianthe's, which means her spirit inhabits your body and created who you are today. We have used this technique for generations."

"That's insane," said Naomi. "I never did anything wrong!"

"Maybe not in this life," said Alexio. His eyes were burning with rage, madness, but his mouth curled up to an evil smirk. "But you swore to me that you'd face the consequences of what you did and I'll never forget that. Now, after seventeen years, the time's finally come."

******

_Oh, that annoying phone! I'll kill the idiot who's calling me at this time of night._

Donatello's face appeared on April's Turtle Comm.

"It'd better be important, Donatello," she grumbled. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, April," said Donatello.

"What's wrong?" asked April, rubbing her eyes. "You sound strange. Did something happen to one of you guys?"

"Not to us, but remember when we told you about Naomi?" asked Donatello.

"The 'weirdo', according to Raphael?" asked April drowsily. "What about her?"

"She's missing," said Donatello. "We saw her about three hours ago, but she never came home."

"Calm down," said April. "Are you sure she's not with one of her friends?"

"Yeah, we heard her grandfather call her friends, but she wasn't with either of them," said Donatello. He started to sound desperate. "April, please help us. We've gotta find her."

"Meet me at my apartment," said April. "I'll go get ready. And Donatello… it'll be ok. We'll find her."

"Yeah," sighed Donatello. He looked away. "But in what state?"

"Hey, from what I've heard, she's a strong girl," said April. "She'll be fine."

"Ok," said Donatello. "Please, April, hurry!"

April snapped her Turtle Comm closed and got ready to go out.

Donatello put away his Turtle Comm. Leonardo looked at him.

"Let's take the Turtle Van," he said. "We'll find her, Donatello."

"I have an idea how to locate her," said Donatello. "I just hope we'll make it in time."

* * *

**Once again, thank you all for reading so far. I'm really glad to see so many people like it! **

**See you next chapter! (At least, I hope so ^^;)**


	12. Looking For Trouble

**Sorry it took so long again. My laptop is still not back from the laptop doctor :'( I don't get a lot of chances to get behind this computer, at least, not for long =_=;**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. ^^**

* * *

April hung on tight to her seat as the Turtle Van was racing over the road.

"Michelangelo," she said, "if you keep it up like this, you'll have us killed before we get the chance to find her! Please, slow down!"

"Sorry, April," said Michelangelo. "Leader's instructions."

A short yelp escaped April's lungs as Michelangelo turned sharply to the right.

"I just hope you'll fix the seat belts someday soon!" she said, her heart pounding.

"Yeah, I keep writing notes about it, but for some reason, we keep forgetting," said Raphael, pointing at the dozens of small notes sticking on the back of the front seats.

"… We're done for," mumbled April.

"Anything yet, Donatello?" asked Leonardo.

"No, nothing," said Donatello. He was starting to lose hope. He stared at the radar; not even the faintest signal was showing. "What if she's not here? What if they got her out of town?"

"Then we'll just have to keep looking," said Leonardo. "Wherever they're taking her, we'll find her."

"Wait, look!" said Donatello. Leonardo looked at the screen. He didn't see anything special.

"What?" he asked. "I don't see anything…" Then, in just a flash, he saw a small red dot appear on the screen.

"Did you see that?!" asked Donatello. "That must be Naomi's cell phone! It's faint, but the signal's there!"

"Where to, Donatello?" asked Michelangelo from behind the wheel.

"Go left here, Michelangelo," said Donatello, his eyes focussed on the radar. He heard another scream from April.

"Oohh… I'm gonna be sick," she said, holding her hand in front of her mouth.

"You'd think you would've been used to it by now," said Raphael.

"_This_ is something I have to get _used to_?!" asked April.

"To the right!" instructed Donatello. "She should be somewhere about…" He looked from the radar to the road ahead of them. "There! That big, black building over there!"

Michelangelo slowed down and found the perfect alley to hide the Turtle Van. Everyone got out, including April, whose legs were trembling.

"Gee, April," said Raphael. "You ok? Ya look a little green."

"Thanks," said April. "Now my look matches yours."

"April," said Leonardo. "Do you happen to know what that building's supposed to be?"

April looked around the corner and stared at the building.

"No way…" she whispered.

"What?" asked Leonardo.

"That symbol above the door," said April. "It's the Golden Wing!"

"Golden what now?" asked Raphael.

"I've read about them in a colleague's notes a few years ago," said April. "He threw them away, because his research was on a dead end."

"Ok, but… who are they?" asked Donatello.

"The Golden Wing is one of the most sadistic mobs in the world," explained April. "They made most of their money out of human trafficking."

"Human trafficking? What's that?" asked Michelangelo.

"Human trafficking means that they capture people, mostly women, and make money out of them by making them… do stuff," said Donatello, making a painful face.

"And by 'stuff' you mean…?" asked Michelangelo. But when he saw his brother's face, he understood immediately. "Oh."

"Oh no…" whispered Raphael. "You don't think that… they kidnapped Naomi for…" He swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Everyone looked at him, already knowing what he was saying.

"S-stop thinking like that," said Leonardo. "We'll get her back. April, what else do you know?"

"Not much," said April. "I do know that this building is run by a guy named Alexio Greco. He was once almost caught by the Greek police, because he was guilty of human trafficking there. One woman managed to free 52 young women who were trapped in his business. But he had already fled out of the country before the Greek police could get their hands on him. Here, we are not entitled to arrest him. My colleague wrote a concept of an article on this, but his request to go further into it was denied. This is the _mob_ we're talking about. If they saw the item on TV, we wouldn't get away with it."

"I can imagine that," said Donatello.

Leonardo looked around the corner again. "There's too many guards to sneak in unnoticed," he said.

April took another look at the building. There were six guards at the main entrance. The left side of the building was guarded by only four men.

"I have an idea," said April.

******

Naomi was alone in the torture chamber. She looked around. The painful looking instruments, the knifes, the spiked chair, something that looked like a cross with chains attached to it and the walls full of leash-like chords were creeping her out. The smell was also unbearable. She could even see some traces of blood on the walls and on some of the torture equipment.

_These guys are_ sick_. I've _gotta_ get outta here before he comes back._

She looked at what was left of her cell phone on the floor and immediately thought of the Turtles.

_Please, guys. __Find me. Help me. _

******

One of the six guards made a subtle gesture towards the five figures approaching them, making the other guards keep their guard up. One of the approaching figures was a woman, about in her mid-thirties, and four strange looking men wearing the same suits as the guards were. One was bald, one was wearing glasses and has a strangely shaped nose, one had blond, messy hair and the fourth man was wearing sunglasses.

"What're you doing out here?" asked one of the guards.

"Mr. Greco has somethin' ta deal wit' dis woman," answered the bald man. "Don't worry, no one followed us."

Two guards were looking in suspicion. "I've never seen _you_ guys before," said one of them.

"We just got here from… Italy," answered the man with the sunglasses.

"Really?" asked a black-haired guard. "Why are you wearing sunglasses? It's the middle of the night."

"Trust me, you really don't wanna see this scar on my face," answered the man.

The guard glared at him before taking a step back. "Get in before anyone sees you," he said.

The four men and the woman entered the building. Three of the guards stared after them until they got out of their sight.

When they turned around a corner into an empty corridor, they stopped.

"Close one," sighed Michelangelo in relief. "This mask is itching."

"Leave it on for a little longer," whispered Leonardo, looking over his sunglasses. "Until we know where to be."

"And how do we find out?" asked Raphael.

"The next person we meet will tell us," said Leonardo. He turned to April. "April, you, Raphael and Michelangelo are gonna explore this floor and the basement. Donatello and I will take the next floor. If you find anything, call us."

"Roger," said Raphael, nodding. "Let's go."

As the three walked on as casually as possible, Leonardo and Donatello headed for the elevator. They waited for the old-fashioned "Ping" before the doors opened. There was an older man inside. By the look in his eyes, Leonardo and Donatello could tell that he wasn't here in his own free will.

"Excuse me," said Leonardo, "could you tell me where we can find Mr. Greco? Is he in his office?"

"M-mister Greco?" asked the man, his voice nervous and a bit shaky. "How… how come you didn't ask the receptionist? I-I don't know where he is…"

Leonardo could tell that the man was lying. "It's ok," he said gently, "As soon as we're out of the elevator, we'll forget that we ever met you. He won't find out."

The man hesitated, looking at his reflection in the sunglasses Leonardo was wearing.

"Please, sir," tried Donatello. "We have an urgent matter with him."

The man looked at him, into Donatello's begging, yet reassuring eyes.

"I… I-I don't think you can see him now," said the man. "He has some… private matters to take care of." He shivered.

The elevator doors opened and Donatello and Leonardo stepped out.

"Thanks anyway," said Leonardo.

The man, staying in the elevator, kept staring at them while the doors closed again. Leonardo turned around and started towards the corridor. But Donatello put his hand between the elevator doors just before they were closed, and they opened again. Leonardo turned around, his eyes widened.

"You _have_ to tell us where he is," said Donatello desperately to the man.

Leonardo grabbed Donatello's wrist, trying to drag his hand from the elevator door, but Donatello shook it off.

"Calm down," said Leonardo firmly. He looked around to see if no one was around.

"No," said Donatello. He looked back at the older man, who was clearly startled. "We _have_ to find him _now_. Every second is a waste of time. If you tell us, then I promise we'll end him. He's scaring you. We will make sure he'll never scare anyone again."

"Oh no…" said the man breathless. "You're… you're… murderers...?"

"No, I meant we'll get him locked up," said Donatello. "Come on, please tell me where he is."

"He's… he's in the basement," said the man, tears filling his eyes. "In the… torture chamber."

Both Leonardo's and Donatello's eyes widened. The looked at each other, clearly thinking the same.

"I'm begging you," whispered the old man, shaking heavily. "I can't live on like this…"

"We'll stop him," said Leonardo. He looked at Donatello. "Let's go."

* * *

***Interrupts*... Sorry, this chapter was getting too long. I'm planning for the next one to be done by the end of the weekend, but I won't make any promises.**

**P.S. I'm going to make some drawings on Naomi: what I'm imagining her to look like. I'll put a link in one of the next chapters as soon as I've submitted it on deviantArt. Anyone who would like that? (A)**

**As they say in the Netherlands: Bye bye! ^^**


	13. Invasion

**Sorry for another late upload. My home Internet is still a mess. The good news is: I got a new laptop. My old one was total loss... apparently. Anyway, this means that I can write anytime I want and upload whenever no one else here is using Internet. Hopefully, I can now post the following chapters a lot more frequently. Thanks again for your patience, everyone!**

* * *

"_Intruder alert. All the guards to the first floor. I repeat: all the guards to the first floor._"

"What's all this about?!"

"I'm sorry, Boss. Apparently there are five intruders, of which four in strange costumes and abnormally strong. We fear they are after you, Sir."

"Take care of it. Kill them if necessary. I _will_ have my revenge. I've waited too long for this."

The guard hesitated. His job was to stay on guard at the torture chamber.

"What the hell are you waiting for?!" yelled Alaxio. "GO!!"

The guard nodded and ran for the first floor.

_Dianthe_, thought Alexio. _Finally, after 20 long years, I get to see you suffer._ A wide smirk appeared on his face. _And suffer you will._

******

Another guard was thrown onto the small pile of knocked-out men in black suits.

"Heh, they call themselves guards?" chuckled Raphael.

"There's too many of them," said Leonardo, pinning one of the guards to the wall using his katanas and punching him knock-out.

"And they just keep comin'!" said Michelangelo. "There's like, no end!"

Some of the guards pointed their guns at the Turtles, careful not to hit their colleagues, but none of them could manage to hit the Turtles, either. They used their weapons to shield themselves from the bullets by spinning them around at a fast pace.

April screamed as another guard held her in a firm grip.

"April!" Donatello knocked a few more guards out with his bo as he ran to save April.

"Spread out!" commanded Leonardo. "If _we_ surround _them_, we can launch one of our combination attacks!"

"Got it," said Michelangelo.

"Just second, guys," said Donatello, landing a sharp punch on the chin of the man who was holding April. He let go of her immediately and landed on the floor.

"Everyone ready?" asked Leonardo when he had reached the end of the crowd.

"All set."

"Ready."

"Same here."

"Ok then," said Leonardo. "Press Pass Technique #3!"

April kept her distance as the four Turtles worked away one guard after another. The gun-holding guards were the first victims of their technique, their weapons knocked out of their hands before they got knocked out themselves.

She remembered how they came up with this strategy. Three years ago, a remaining group of Foot-ninjas had planned an ambush on the Turtles in order to avenge the companions who had not survived their fights against the mutants. There were too many of them. When things started to look bad, April, who was stuck in the strong grip of a Foot-soldier, suggested an attack from the outside of the crowd. And it had worked. When it was over, Leonardo said this technique could be very useful. Since it was originally April's idea, Michelangelo came up with the name "Press Pass". It was strong, catchy and enemies couldn't make up the strategy from its name.

Finally, after what seemed to be taking ages, the Turtles allowed themselves to rest on top of some of the guards. Not one of the men was anywhere near consciousness.

Michelangelo looked around. "Well, after what we've done to this place," he said, slightly panting, "they should redecorate, huh?"

"It's like one of those horror movies," said Raphael. "'_It Came From Down The Sewers_'. Wouldn't that be something."

"We should keep on moving," said Donatello. "The longer we wait…"

"We need a few minutes to regain some strength," said Leonardo. "We just fought…" he looked around, "a few hundred men. Who knows what lies ahead of us."

"Well, they know we're here already," said Michelangelo.

"And whose fault is that?" said Raphael.

"Sorry, dude," said Michelangelo. "But that mask was really itchy. Not even highly trained ninjas like us could wear it for so long. It was drivin' me crazy."

Donatello sighed and sat down on the floor. Leonardo, sitting next to him, put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"She's gonna be fine, Donatello," he said. "We'll find her."

"I know we will," said Donatello. "But I can't help but feeling something's wrong."

"You're worried," said Leonardo. "We all are. But we've got to be strong. We're not leaving without her, that's for sure."

"Well said," said an unfamiliar voice. The Turtles reacted instinctively, stood up and drew their weapons in a flash. But just as quickly, they were surrounded by another few dozen men, pointing just as many guns at them. The only unarmed man stepped forward.

"Because you're not leaving," he said. "You'd better surrender. Even you can't do anything in your position."

Leonardo looked around, then lowered his weapons. "He's right," he said to his brothers. "Let's do what he says."

"Leonardo…"

"There's a time to fight and a time not to," said Leonardo, repeating his former master's words. He dropped his katanas. Donatello looked at him, at the katanas lying by his brother's feet, and back at him. Leonardo looked into his eyes. The look in his eyes was firm. He knew what he was doing. Donatello looked at his bo, and gently lay it on the floor as well. Raphael sighed and dropped his sais. Michelangelo followed his brothers' example.

"Good," said the man. "Now you're going to tell me who… or rather, _what_ you are and what you're doing here. You don't want to get blown out of those… shells, do you?"

******

Alexio grunted as he put his cell phone back in his pocket.

"Friggin' ridiculous," he mumbled. "I need new guards…" He turned around and looked at Naomi. Her limbs slightly trembling with tension, the sweat coming off her face, the scared look in her eyes and her attempts to cover all that, made him forget his anger instantly. He smirked and came closer to her.

"This new you is not so brave, huh?" he said. As he came closer to her, Naomi was trembling more and more. With the tips of his fingers, he stroke her cheek. Naomi froze.

"Pity," he said. "I could've used someone like you."

He felt a warm liquid on his fingertips, which were still touching Naomi's cheek. A tear had escaped one of her eyes. He looked at the salty water, somewhat surprised.

"Crying already?" he asked. "You're even weaker than I thought. Not that I don't like seeing you like this. On the contrary…" His face drew closer to her ear and he whispered: "… I like it. I like it a lot." He gave her a small pack on the ear. Naomi flinched.

"You're _crazy_," said Naomi. Her voice sounded hoarse. She looked around. "Just how many people have you…"

"Not many," said Alexio. "Hmm… they should really clean this place up a little." He looked back at Naomi. "As for you…" He picked up a scalpel from a table. "I'll start small." He gently took the collar of her vest with his free hand. He gave it a good pull and opened her vest in one movement without any button getting pulled off.

Naomi yelped. "What… what're you doing?!"

"Nice… bra," said Alexio. He looked at the moss green bra that said: 'Girl's territory- no trespassing'. He laughed. "And you're calling _me_ crazy?!"

Naomi's breathing became heavier. The cold touching the skin revealed by her open vest felt like heavy weight being pushed against her, pushing the air out of her lungs.

"Don't worry," said Alexio. "I'm not intending to rape you."

"Now _that's_ a great relief," said Naomi sarcastically. Her trembling body was not exactly helping her to try and act brave.

Alexio just laughed for a brief moment before he laid a big hand right below her throat. Naomi flinched again. She squirmed, desperate to break free.

"No, no…"

"Seeing you like this after those noble words back then," said Alexio, pointing the scalpel at her chest, "… is very entertaining." He pinned her to the wall with his other hand and slowly drove the small blade into the middle of her chest.

Naomi screamed. She felt the cold iron go through the thin layer of skin and touch the sternum, going lower and lower. Never before had she felt so much pain. Breathing had never been so painful.

Alexio withdrew the scalpel and looked at the narrow line of a dark red he had created.

"Do you know why I'm doing this on this particular area?" he asked. Naomi closed her eyes, her breathing short without too much movement. Tears were pouring out of her eyes.

Alexio smirked. "Breathing," he explained. "Something you do all day. Your chest goes up and down all day. Now by breathing, you'll tear this small cut more and more open. You can't stop it. Unless you stop breathing, of course. Tell me…" He put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Does it hurt?"

Naomi squirmed again, shaking her head out of his hand.

Alexio laughed. "If you think _this_ is painful, just you wait," he said. "I'm planning to make you suffer at least 10 times as much."

* * *

**I really don't know what a scalpel directly on your bones feels like, but I just assume it's pretty painful. =P**

**Thanks again for reading. Please look forward to the next chapter ^^**

**P.S. If you see any mistakes in grammar or anything, please do let me know by sending me a message or by simply reviewing this chapter. I'm intending to improve my English. Thank you in advance ^^ Bye bye!**


	14. Imprisoned

**Yes, finally. It took a while, but I finally got over my writer's block tonight. I just hope I'm not disappointing you with this... Anyway, thanks for your patience. Hope you like it.**

**P.S. Now officially: Happy Newyear, everybody! The best wishes for each and every one of you! ^____^**

* * *

"Sir, we've captured the intruders. What do you want us to do with them?"

"I think I'll pay them a little visit myself. My… 'visitor' is mentally breaking down. It's almost time to go a little… further. Besides, I want to see these intruders. Look at what they've done to these though guys. It's a disgrace. Clean the place up, I don't want anyone to see this mess."

The guards' captain looked at his boss from the corners of his eyes. He was talking about his own men like they were lifeless attributes lying in the way, and their blood like it was spilt juice. Then again, he didn't expect much different from him. He was torturing a teenage girl whom he had never met before, for crying out loud.

"You said there were only _five _of them?" asked Alexio, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes, sir," confirmed the captain.

"Damn," said Alexio. "They'd be perfect for my team. Maybe I can find a way to persuade them to join us."

They stopped in front of a heavily locked door. Alexio ordered one of the two armored men guarding the door to open it.

"Sir, before you go in there, there is something you must know," said the captain quickly.

"What?" asked Alexio.

"Four of the intruders are… not human, sir," said the captain hesitantly. "They are some kind of monstrosity that look like turtles. They were using weapons from the Far East."

"Monstrosity? Turtles?" repeated Alexio. "Just what the hell do you mean by that?"

The door opened and Alexio couldn't believe what it revealed: four giant turtles, chained to the wall. They were all wearing masks, wristbands, ankle bands, belts with each a different letter on it…

Alexio, secretly impressed, entered the room and studied the Turtles carefully before looking Leonardo in the eyes.

"Can you… talk, my friend?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I talk only when I have something to tell," said Leonardo calmly. "I wish the same from you… 'my friend'."

Alexio's eyebrows rose with amusement. He smiled, gave the captain a look and looked back at Leonardo.

"You seem pretty smart," said Alexio. He looked at the other three Turtles. "Does this also apply for your…" He narrowed his eyes, like he couldn't find the right word. "… brothers?" He looked at the purple-masked Turtle, who looked like he could attack ay minute if it weren't for those chains.

"If looks could kill…" said Alexio softly. He came to stand in front of Donatello. "Do I know you? No, that can't be. I'm sure I would've remembered someone with your… looks."

Donatello glared at him, hatred filling up inside him, fighting to control it.

Alexio turned back to Leonardo.

"Where do you come from, and why did you come here?" asked Alexio.

"I have no intention of telling you our whereabouts," said Leonardo. "Neither do my brothers. That is something you will never find out. We are here to get something back that doesn't belong to you."

"Something?" asked Alexio. "Or… some_one_?" He wondered if one of the girls that were 'imported' today, was actually familiar with these creatures.

_Maybe that Japanese girl_, he thought. _They were using weapons from the Far East, after all._

"You made a big mistake in kidnapping her," said Donatello. Alexio turned to him. He saw the rage in the turtle's eyes. "Where is she?!"

"_Donatello_," scolded Leonardo.

"Donatello?" asked Alexio. "Interesting name. And why do you care so much for this girl, Donatello?"

Donatello just glared, focusing on controlling his anger.

"I would like to make a bargain with you," said Alexio. "If you help me carry out an important mission, I'll give you back that girl."

"We'll never work for _you_," said Raphael.

"That's right," said Michelangelo. "You're loco, dude."

Donatello and Leonardo looked at each other.

"What kind of mission?" asked Leonardo.

"What?! Leonardo…!" said Raphael.

"A… punishment," said Alexio with an evil smirk.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Welcome to the mob, my green friend – Leonardo, was it? Those who mess with the mob, will pay a price. They'll either work off their debt, or else suffer and eventually die."

Leonardo looked at his brothers. Raphael shook his head. "Don't do it," he said soundlessly. Michelangelo didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes said more than enough. Donatello was still doubting.

"That girl you were looking for," started Alexio, "is it that Japanese girl?"

"What?" asked Raphael. "You kidnapped other girls, too?!"

"I guess that's a 'no'," said Alexio. "Tell me her name and I'll bring her over for a minute."

Leonardo looked at his brothers again. Donatello nodded.

"Her name is Naomi Peterson," he said.

Alexio's eyes widened for less than a second at hearing the name. _You've got to be _kidding _me_, he thought. Leonardo saw it.

"I'll see what I can do for you," said Alexio nonchalantly. "In the meantime, you can think about what you're gonna choose: work for me… or die."

And with that, he left the room and the door was slowly shut.

"Heh, as if," mumbled Raphael.

"Did you guys see that?" asked Leonardo.

"What?"

"The way he reacted on Naomi's name."

"I saw it," said Donatello. "But I don't know if it's a good or a bad sign."

"I don't like it at all," said Michelangelo.

"What do we do now?" asked Raphael.

"I'm still thinking of a plan, Raphael," said Leonardo.

"I'm worried about April," said Michelangelo. "I wonder where she is."

"She'll be alright," said Leonardo. "There's no messing with April."

"That's true," said Michelangelo.

"Don't forget that _we _dragged her into this," said Donatello. "It's our fault Naomi's been kidnapped, and now April, too…"

"And we'll be the ones to get both of them out of here," said Leonardo. "Calm down, Donatello."

"Yeah, this isn't like you, man," said Michelangelo. "It's mondo freaky."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," said Donatello. "I can't remember I've ever been this worried or ever feeling this guilty."

"Well, snap outta it," said Raphael.

"Remember your training," said Leonardo. "Splinter taught us to stay calm, no matter how bad things look. All we can do for now is wait and hope both April and Naomi are alright."

******

"You're going to regret this, you hear me?!" April shouted from her cell. "I've been in situations that were way worse than this! And as soon as I'm out of here, I'll personally make sure you'll regret this!"

The two men guarding the cells tried to ignore the shouting and bumping on the door, but April had been going on for half an hour already and she still wasn't tired of it yet.

"Is there no way to shut this woman up?" mumbled one of the guards.

"Just bear with it," said the other. "She's too old to put her with the others."

"I heard that!" yelled April.

"I'm surprised, since you're noisier than an airplane!" said one of the guards.

"Why don't you come over here, so I can wipe that smirk off your faces?!"

"I'm not smirking!"

"I don't care! Bring it on!"

"Damn it, woman! Will you just _shut up_!"

"Matt, cut it out," said the other guard. "You're wasting your time. I bet we'll be rid of her soon. For good."

******

Alexio opened the door of the torture chamber and watched his prisoner. She was covered with blood. Her eyes seemed filled with mist. She was mumbling inarticulately. She slowly looked up when she saw him enter the room.

"My, my," said her tormentor. "Feeling a little woozy, by any chance?"

Naomi didn't answer. Every breath hurt so badly. She could feel the cut on her chest being ripped more and more open with every deeper breath she took.

Alexio stood right in front of her.

"My… how tragic it must be for you," he said. Naomi looked up into his eyes. "You lost your entire family at the age of eight, and now you're going to lose your… friends?" He lowered more to Naomi's eye level. "Those… monsters, those turtles…" he started. Naomi's eyes widened. "Are they friends of yours?"

_They came for me…_

Naomi gasped and tried to say something, but a killing pain in her chest withheld her from saying anything. A grin appeared on Alexio's face.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," said Alexio. "They told me they were looking for you. Just too bad for them that they were way outnumbered…"

"Leave them alone!" screamed Naomi, fighting against the pain talking was bringing her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Alexio. "Such monsters, on the loose in New York. Such monsters don't belong in this world. And you befriended them."

"Let them go!" said Naomi.

"They seem very important to you," said Alexio. "And you seem very important to them. Now let's see if I can destroy that friendship before I kill you."

"No…"

"Yes." He straightened, turned around and walked out the room.

"NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE! COME BACK! COME BAAAACK!!!"

The echoing sound of a shutting door ended Naomi's desperate screams.

* * *

**... Yes. That's it for this chapter. I'll try and come up with a new one soon. Thanks for reading and reviews are still very much welcome! (^.^)/~**


	15. Losing Hope

**Sorry it took so long for me to upload. I've been working on a new fanfic for "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" ("When They Cry") and I've become addicted to an online game called "Perfect World". Seriously, I'm wasting half my life to this game. I can't help it. It's so awesome 3**

**Anyways, here is chapter 15. I've already started writing on chapter 16, so I don't think that one will take so long.**

**Thank you for your patience and please enjoy! ^^**

* * *

"Boss, are you alright?!" asked the guard as Alexio came out of the torture chamber, his hand covering his face. But as he got closer, he saw the insane grin on his boss' face. "Boss?" Even the tall, broad shouldered man got the creeps of this 60-year-old man.

"This is perfect," whispered Alexio. He looked at the tall, confused looking man. "This is so… perfect!" he said. "I can… use those mutants to… I can…" He burst out in laughter.

"Boss, maybe you should take a rest first," said the guard. "You've been at it all night."

His boss' laughter stopped abruptly, followed by a deadly look in his eyes. "Shut up," said Alexio, grabbing the man by his collar. "I've waited for this moment for way too long," he said softly, "and I'm not gonna waste any more time." He let go of his guard's collar and walked off.

The guard stared after him. _He's losing it_, he thought.

******

The door of the Turtles' cell flew open and the silhouette of Alexio appeared in the door opening.

"Good news," he said. "I can let you go without letting any scientist know you're around." He stood in front of Donatello. "You should be thankful," he said. "God did not give us humans the superior power of intelligence and wisdom for nothing. This world belongs to humans. Not to monsters like you. You're just tiny mistakes."

Donatello glared at him, but stayed calm. Raphael was having more trouble keeping his temper.

"However," said Alexio, "I'll set you free on two conditions. One: you're going to play a part in my revenge against a certain someone. If you simply do as I tell you, I'll let you and that woman go. And two: if I ever catch even a glimpse of you again, I'll let every scientist, news paper, anything, know about your existence." He looked at Leonardo. "Do I make myself clear?"

"What about Naomi?" asked Leonardo calmly.

"Oh yes, that's another thing," said Alexio. "If you want to see her, you'll do exactly as I say. Any funny moves, any step in the wrong direction, and I'll kill her _and_ you."

"You'd better not've laid one finger on her!" said Raphael.

"You'll release her, too," said Leonardo.

"Listen… _gentlemen_," said Alexio, a disgusted look on his face. "You're in no position to threaten or to demand anything. And if the life of this girl is so precious to you, you'll understand what I'm saying here. Don't you?" He looked at Donatello again. He just glared back. Alexio moved closer to him. "You must be her favorite," he said amused. "Trying to kill me with that glare. You hate me so much, you wish I'd just drop dead and fall right into Hell."

"Spooky," said Donatello sarcastically, "how you can read my mind like that."

A smirk appeared on Alexio's face. "How's it feel?" he asked, a dark look in his eyes. "To hate someone so much? I know what it's like. But I'm a human. A monster like you must be having a much stronger urge to kill. Sure, I can see that you have emotions. But as an animal, you lack _reason_."

Donatello knew better than to argue about this. He would be wasting time they could put into saving Naomi.

"I'll bring two of my bodyguards with me," said Alexio. "If anyone of you tries something funny, they'll blow you right out of your shells. And the girl will die, too."

Leonardo looked at the others.

Alexio smirked. "So… do we have an agreement?"

******

_No… No more…_

"Kid… Kid, wake up."

"Why the hell are you helping her?"

"Can't you see she's dying?! She can't die until the Boss is satisfied with his revenge. Or do you wanna spend the next 20 years chasing after her so-called 'reincarnation'?"

"…"

"Open your eyes, kid. Look at me."

"Ugh… There's blood and puke all over the damn place."

Naomi moaned and opened her eyes. It took a few seconds for her vision to sharpen. When she saw the tall, buff man in front of her, she panicked. She struggled against the chains, but didn't scream. It was like her chest was penetrated. The cut Alexio had given her was ripped to a huge cut.

"Shh, easy, I'm not gonna hurt you," said the black-haired man. He looked at her chest. "Damn. Dave, look at this."

"I'm on guard in case the Boss gets back," said Dave.

The other man looked at her wrists as Naomi continued to struggle.

"I told you, take it easy," he said. He restrained her by grabbing her arms. "Look what you're doing to yourself." Naomi kept struggling, tears streaming down her face. "Look at your arms," tried the man again. "Look at them."

Naomi gave up and looked at her left arm. The man removed his hand so she could see for herself. Her arm was covered with blood. Her wrist was probably broken. She didn't know. She lost feeling in it a while ago.

She started to cry silently.

"Listen," said the man, "I've brought you some food and water. Wanna drink some?"

He picked up the bottle of water he had put on the floor. Naomi stared at it.

"It's not poisoned," reassured the guard her. "Here, drink some. You'll get dehydrated if you don't drink anything soon." He gently pressed the opening of the bottle against her lips. Naomi slowly opened her mouth a little. The cold liquid entering her mouth was refreshing. She had never thought drinking water would feel so good. Before she knew it, she drank all of it.

"Good girl," said the guard. "Now try and eat some bread." He took a small piece off the bread he had brought and put it in her mouth, making a slightly embarrassed face as he was doing it. Naomi's chewing was slow and weak. She got a few bites more, but after another five bites, she threw up.

"Holy…" The man stepped back. Naomi threw up more than she had just eaten. "Hey… hang in there," he said, not quite sure what to do with this. _I'm already used to this kind of stuff, but…_ _she's a child_, he thought.

Naomi closed her eyes again, slowly losing hope that everything will be ok.

* * *

**Yeah, not exactly a chapter full of glee... xD Things are looking very bad, even I don't know exactly how to continue on this. I do know how it will end, though.**

**I'll try and upload chapter 16 asap. :) Until then, bye bye~!**


	16. The Unexpected Ally

**Ugh, finally! For some reason, I had some trouble uploading this ^^; But finally, I did it.**

**I should explain to you first: I've recently received some very disturbing news, so I've been a little depressed lately. I'm not going to bother you with that by letting it out on the story, but I just wanted to let you know that this is why it took so long for me to finish this chapter. The next one will probably also take a while, so please be patient with me. I luv you all! ^^**

**Hope you like it anyway! ^^;**

**What Splinter says in the beginning means: "Don't die... Hang in there..."**

* * *

"_Shinuna…_" mumbled Splinter in meditation. "_Shikkari shiro…_"

He focused on the Turtles, April and Naomi. He had a very bad feeling about Naomi.

"My sons," he mumbled. "Do not let me, nor her, nor yourselves down. There is not much time left."

******

"Everyone knows what they have to do?" asked Leonardo. The others nodded.

The door of their cell opened again on the third day of the kidnapping. Two tall, broad men entered.

"Remember," said one of them. "One wrong move…" He showed a small device he was holding. "All I have to do is push this button and your friend will die."

The Turtles looked at the green button. This simple button could end Naomi's life. Leonardo looked up and nodded.

"Good," said the man. "We're bringing you to our boss. I'm not gonna take my eyes off you." His eyes narrowed.

"That's fine by us," said Leonardo calmly.

"Hang on a second," said Donatello. "How do we know we're talking about the same person?"

"Oh, right," said the other guard, reaching in his pocket. He took out a picture and showed it to Donatello. "Is this her?" he asked with a smirk.

Donatello's eyes widened. Usually penetrating green eyes were now staring at him, begging for help. Half her awfully pale face was covered with blood. Donatello was shocked, desperately wondering if she was still alive!

"Guess it is," said the guard. The others tried to get a glimpse of the picture, but the guard crumbled it and threw it on the floor. "As you can see," he said while the other guard was unlocking the chains, "we don't have much time. One wrong move will relieve her from her misery in the blink of an eye. But that's not what you want, right? Poor girl." He chuckled.

"Dave," said the other. "That's enough. I think they get it."

Donatello felt a stinging pain in his chest. His body was trembling with a mixture of anger and anxiety. "Just what… have you done to her?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"We didn't do nothing," said Dave. "You'll see after you've completed this _small _task."

"Donatello," whispered Leonardo, rubbing his wrists after he was freed. He looked deeply into his brother's eyes. _Don't let whatever they did to Naomi get to you_, he said with his eyes. _Our top priority is to save Naomi before she dies_. Donatello took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

As soon as all four Turtles were loose, Dave opened the door, followed by his colleague.

"Let's go," he said. "The sooner we get this over with, the bet—"

His partner hit him on the back of his head, causing him to fall unconscious immediately and drop on the floor.

The Turtles looked at the guard who had just been knocked out, then looked at the other man in surprise.

"Dude… what's goin' on here?" asked Michelangelo.

The man looked at them. He loosened his necktie, undid a few buttons of his shirt and revealed a huge, ugly scar on his chest. "See this?" he asked. Leonardo looked at him. "I don't get it," he said.

"When I was in my early twenties, I had been taken hostage by a madman," explained the man. "He made me suffer for a long time, throwing stuff at me, even burning me. There wasn't a thing I could do. When I finally managed to escape, I was found by Mr. Greco himself. I was scared, confused… and embittered. He promised me that I would get my revenge. I was mad at the world for making me suffer so much. I wanted others to feel what it's like."

"It wasn't the world's fault," said Leonardo. "It was one man."

"There's plenty of people like him in the world," said the man. "That kind of people can't be forgiven, ever. But I've only recently realized that the world doesn't always work like that."

"What made ya change your mind?" asked Raphael.

"A certain friend of yours," answered the man. "Miss O'Neil."

"April?!"

"She's… really something," said the man, vaguely smiling. "She kept yelling and threatening… challenging us…"

"Yeah, that's April," said the Turtles all at the same time.

"Anyway," continued the man, "After a while, I ended up talking with her when my colleague went to lunch. I told her my story and… she made me realize my way of thinking was wrong. Especially when I saw that girl you're looking for, I realized that I shouldn't make other innocent people suffer, but save people like that girl. For cryin' out loud, she's what, 16? 17? An innocent girl is being punished for what an old man believes she did in a previous life. I've seen the man. He's losing his mind. His lust for revenge has taken over him. I won't let that happen to me."

"Great," said Leonardo. "We could use a little help here for a change."

"I have all the keys," said the man. "Let's free Miss O'Neil first."

"Right, let's go guys," said Donatello.

"By the way," said Raphael, "what's your name?"

"Jenaro Santos," said the man. "Call me Jim."

******

April looked up when the door of her cell opened. She had never guessed who was about to enter first.

"Yo, April!" Michelangelo ran inside and hugged her before April even got the chance to realize who it was.

"Michelangelo!" she said in surprise. "Guys! But... how did you – Michelangelo, you're crushing my bones here…"

"Sorry."

When Jim appeared in the door opening next to the other three Turtles, April's eyes widened.

"April, tell us," said Leonardo, "can we trust this guy?"

"Jim?" asked April. "Yeah, we had a good little chat. I just never expected he'd set you free."

"I'm gonna do what's _right _for a change," said Jim. "I'm sick of making wrong choices."

"Are you sure this is the right choice for you?" asked Leonardo. "They might be out to kill you if you betray them."

"I'll manage," said Jim.

"While we're standing here having a nice conversation," interrupted Donatello, "Naomi is still out there. I saw the state she's in. We can't waste any more time."

"Right," said Leonardo. "Jim, you know where she is, right?"

"Yes," said Jim. "But first…" He unlocked the door behind him. "I think you'd like your weapons back."

The four brothers looked inside and found their weapons piled up next to a desk.

"Ahw, my babies," said Michelangelo, carefully picking up his nunchakus. "Thrown on the cold floor like that. I missed you."

"Dude," said Raphael, picking up his sais. "How could they?"

"Humans…" sighed Leonardo. He quickly turned to April and Jim. "Oh, n-no offence," he said quickly. "What I meant was… umm…"

"I know," said April, slightly annoyed. "Relax."

"So Jim," said Donatello, "got a plan?"

"Yeah," said Jim. "We don't have much time, so I'll just briefly explain what everyone has to do."

******

"Yes, Boss?"

"What the hell is taking you so long?!"

"Sorry, Boss. We had some problems with the locks. But we're ready now and on our way."

"And why is your partner not responding?"

"I'm not sure, Boss, but I think there's something wrong with his communicator."

"Honestly… Well, get your asses over here. I want the girl to die by the hands of her own… _friends_. If you keep it up like this, she'll be dead before you even get here."

"Yes, Boss."

* * *

**Dun dun DUNN!! That's the sound of a climax coming our way! =O Will they make it in time?**

**I was too lazy to go in detail xD Sorry for that...**

**I PROMISE I'll try and make the next upload sooner and more exciting! X3**

**Until then, sayonara ~ nano desu! ^^**


	17. Alice of the Human Sacrifice

**Thanks again for your patience. I have been really busy lately and I apologize for the slow progress.**

**Note: The texts in _italic _are from a song called "Alice of the Human Sacrifice", hence the title, by the Vocaloids of Rin Kagamine. You could YouTube it if you like. I'm addicted to these Vocaloids.**

**It's rather long, but I hope you like it!**

* * *

"_The first Alice was gallant, wielding a sword in the Wonderland. She sliced down everything that got in her way, leaving a bloody red path wherever she went. This Alice lived deep in the woods, locked away as the fugitive that she was. If it weren't for that bloody path, no one would have believed she even existed._"

******

"Finally," said Alexio. "Now we can… Oh, for cryin' out loud, where did Smith go?!"

"He said we were being followed," lied Jim. "He went to check it out. He will probably be here in a minute."

"Brat's too paranoid," said Alexio. "Well, doesn't matter. You've got the emergency remote, so I presume these guys will behave. Let's go."

"Boss, aren't you taking more men with you?" asked Jim. Leonardo looked at him. _Jim, what are you doing?!_

"The less eye witnesses, the better, I'd say," said Alexio. "Can't trust everyone that works here."

"I see," said Jim. He looked at the Turtles.

"Gentlemen," said Alexio. "Follow me."

They walked down a small hallway until they arrived at the last door. Alexio opened it.

"In here," he said, gesturing for the Turtles to go inside first. The room they entered was surprisingly big. "In a few minutes, my henchman here will bring out the one I want you to kill. I want no questions, no hesitation… and no mercy. If your weapons make the tiniest slip and hit anything other than your target, your friend will be killed immediately. Hope I made myself clear on this."

"Crystal," said Leonardo. "But first we want to know where Naomi is. We want to be sure she's safe."

"You're in no position to make conditions," said Alexio. "You just do what I told you or that girl will die." He nodded to Jim, who stood ready to push the button.

Leonardo looked at him, then back at Alexio. "When this is over, you let her go," he said.

Alexio smirked. "Well then, shall we get started?" he asked. He closed the door behind him and looked at Jim.

"Yes," said Raphael suddenly, shooting towards Alexio and landing a perfectly good punch against Alexio's jaw. Alexio fell down, the back of his head hitting against the wall.

"Raphael…" sighed Leonardo. Michelangelo shook his head and Donatello's hand covered his face. "Tactful as ever…" he mumbled.

Alexio sat up, wiping blood from his mouth and looked at it.

"Hey, he had it comin'," said Raphael.

"That… was a big mistake," said Alexio. "I should have known that monstrosities like you can't be trusted. Apparently you don't care enough for that girl after all." He looked at Jim again. "What are you waiting for, you fool?! Do it!"

But Jim didn't make a move.

"Push the button, idiot!" yelled Alexio. "Do it! Now!"

Jim walked towards a desk in the room and gently put the small remote on it.

"You…" mumbled Alexio. "You wanna die?!"

"No," said Jim. "And I won't. I've followed you for far too long."

Alexio's eyes widened in rage. "You traitor! You fool! You defy me, you'll die!" He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and tried to quickly dial a number, but Raphael threw his sai at his arm, pinning his sleeve against the wall, making his hand drop the phone. Alexio gritted his teeth, but then smirked. Leonardo looked at the phone: it had already reached one of his henchmen.

******

"Emergency call from the Boss. Let's go."

"Finally, some action!"

******

"My guards will be here soon," said Alexio with an evil smirk. "They'll kill you all."

"Where's Naomi?" asked Donatello. Alexio laughed.

"Didn't I tell ya?" he said. "No questions, no hesitation, no mercy. _You _ask no questions, and _I _won't hesitate to kill you, nor show you mercy!"

"If you don't tell us where she is, _I_ won't show _you _any mercy!" shouted Raphael, holding his other sai near Alexio's throat.

"Jim, do you think you can find out where she is?" asked Donatello.

"I can try," said Jim, grabbing his walkie-talkie. "This is Unit G-068 to Unit F-437."

"Unit F-437 to Unit G-068, what is it, Jim?" sounded a voice vaguely under the loud cracking of the device.

"Ed, the Boss wants to move target _Dianthe_ to a new location, can you give me the current coordinates?"

"New location?" A long pause. "I didn't get anything about moving the target, Jim. I'll have to confirm with the Boss himself."

Jim looked at Alexio, who clearly seemed like he was not going to cooperate. "He's busy. He specifically asked me to get the target elsewhere. Just in case."

Another pause.

"Alright then," sounded the voice.

"Could you tell me her new location?" asked Jim. "So that I can pass it to the Boss?"

"… Are you alone?"

Jim turned to the others, Michelangelo covering Alexio's mouth. Leonardo nodded.

"Yes," said Jim.

"Alright. Target's new location will be C.1.59. Got it?"

"Yeah," said Jim. "Keep her there 'till further orders."

"Roger that."

Jim put his walkie-talkie away. "She'll be moved to the first floor."

"Good," said Leonardo. "Listen, the guards can be here any minute. Michelangelo, you go get April and look for Naomi on the first floor while we keep the guards busy here. Make sure no one notices you. Jim, you lead the way. Raphael, Donatello and I stay here and keep an eye on this guy." He looked at Alexio.

"Got it," said Michelangelo. "See you later, compadre."

******

_The second Alice was tender, singing songs in the Wonderland. He created many different sounds that came from a strange blue world. This Alice was a rose, shot and killed by the hands of a madman. The blood painted the roses red, while he, the loved one, withered away._

******

About 20 men entered the big room after tracking Alexio's location by his cell phone. They saw their boss, pinned to the wall, threatened by a red-banded mutant, two others in position to fight. One was wielding swords, the other a wooden bō.

"Kill them," said Alexio.

As the guards started attacking the three Turtles, Michelangelo and Jim managed to sneak out of the room without anyone noticing. First they went to get April, who had been hiding in a small room and waiting for someone to get her.

"April!" she heard Michelangelo's voice call her. "Coast is clear."

April came out and there stood Michelangelo and Jim.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"They'll manage," said Michelangelo. "Come on, Jim knows where Naomi is."

"Follow me," said Jim.

******

"Eight… Nine…" Raphael counted as he kept score of how many guards he had knocked out.

One guard ran out of bullets. He tried to land a hit in Donatello, but Donatello deflected his attack with his bō. The man was pushed another way, but soon recovered himself. He looked at Donatello. "You'll soon find out what happens when you defy Don Alexio," he grunted. Donatello laughed. "You must be is favorite!" In just a few seconds, he managed to hit the man in the stomach with his bō, then in the back head, and to hit a certain point in his neck to make him unconscious.

"Yeah? Well this is what happens when you mess with Don-Atello," he said with a smirk.

"Incoming!" warned Raphael. Donatello turned around and dodged a man Raphael had thrown across the room. The man landed on top of a few other man.

"And that makes 10," said Raphael.

Donatello stared at him. "Did you really have to throw the guy?" he asked.

"What? It's funny!" said Raphael.

"Guys, a little help here?" said Leonardo, about five men trying to attack him.

Alexio took the opportunity to pull the sai out of the wall and get up. The remote that Jim had laid down on the desk was just a few feet away. He ran and reached for it, but didn't escape Donatello's eye as Donatello threw himself on top of him and kept him down.

"Oh no you don't," he said.

"Donatello, look out!"

One of the remaining men ran towards him, another attempt to attack. Donatello reacted instinctively, grabbed his bō and deflected the attack. Alexio quickly got up and grabbed the remote from the desk. Another evil smirk appeared on his face.

"You're too late now, Turtle," he said. He pushed the button. "Now she's dead!"

Donatello knocked out the man who attacked him and smirked. "Not quite," he said.

Alexio looked at the remote and pressed the button a few times more.

"No one's answering," he said. "It's not working!"

"Did you really think we'd come here unprepared?" asked Donatello with a grin.

"Good job, Brainiac!" said Raphael, still fighting a few men.

Alexio smacked the device across the room in rage. "I _will_ get my revenge!"he shouted. At that moment, more guards were entering the room.

"Kill them!!!" shouted Alexio. "Kill these monsters! And kill that girl!"

******

_The third Alice was a little girl, very cute and dear in the Wonderland. She charmed people to her every beck and call, creating a strange green country. This Alice was the Queen, possessed by a distorted dream, afraid of dying. She would rule this country for eternity._

******

As the Turtles got their hands full on another 15 strong opponents, Alexio sneaked away and ran for the first floor.

_I'll kill her myself_, he thought. _If it's the last thing I do, I'll kill her._

******

"Here it is," said Jim. "Hide. I'll distract them." Michelangelo and April nodded and hid in a closet Jim had pointed out.

Jim opened the door and five men were standing around a blood covered figure.

"The Turtles have escaped," he said. "We will need everyone here to find them."

"We got orders to—"

"Look at her, she won't be going anywhere in that state. Come on!"

The others followed him the other way down the hall. Michelangelo and April waited until the sound of footsteps had completely faded away before they got out. Michelangelo grabbed the doorknob of the room Naomi should be in and swallowed before opening it.

******

_The fourth Alice was two siblings, very curious about the Wonderland. They had travelled many different colours of paths, until they finally reached a yellow gate. The stubborn elder sister and the kind younger brother were the closest to the Wonderland, but…_

_******_

"Naomi?!"

******

_The Alices were never awoken from their dreams. Forever they wandered in the Wonderland._


	18. Red Alice Has Fallen

**Sorry, sorry, sorry!!! It took me almost a month to come up with a new chapter, I'm so sorry!! m(_ _)m **

**Last chapter was a cliffy, and I must say, it was very hard for me to come up with something. I hope this chapter is acceptable... xD Please ket me know what you think!**

**P.S. Red Alice = from the song I used in the previous chapter: "Alice of the Human Sacrifice". The first Alice of the song. So there. Enjoy! :3**

**

* * *

**

Jim led the other guards to the staircases, trying to lead them to the basement, when they ran into Alexio himself. Everyone stopped running.

"Where do you think you're going?!" yelled Alexio. "I told you to stay with that girl!"

"But… we were told that—"

"That man…" – he pointed at Jim – "is a traitor! He led one of those monsters to the girl's location, you imbeciles!"

* * *

Michelangelo laid a hand under Naomi's chin and lifted her head. Emotionless eyes weren't even looking at him. He gently wiped some blood off her cheek.

"Naomi…?" he asked.

April covered her mouth and turned her head. _How could they…_ Tears were rolling down her cheeks and soft sobs came from her mouth.

"Can you hear me?" asked Michelangelo, tears filling up his eyes as well. He could feel her weak breath on his arm.

"Y… yeah…" brought Naomi out with a lot of effort.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Michelangelo in relief. He untied the ropes that forced her in an uncomfortable position on the chair she was sitting on.

"They're coming back…!" said April from the door opening. Michelangelo stoop up straight.

"April, take Naomi outta here," he said. "I'll make sure they don't follow ya."

"But what about you?" asked April.

"Get outta here!" yelled Michelangelo. "Now!" He ran outside the room and found Jim trying to fight the other men all by himself. Alexio, however, was headed for the room they had caught Naomi in. Michelangelo spread his arms and blocked the way.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" he said.

Alexio looked behind Michelangelo, where a woman was helping his prisoner getting out.

"Give it up," he said to Michelangelo. "That girl is on the verge of death. Whatever you do, you can't save her anymore."

"She's gonna live, dude," said Michelangelo. "And you're the one who's goin' ta pay for what you've done."

"We'll see," said Alexio.

April and Naomi were moving slowly, Naomi almost leaning on April with her full weight.

"You're limping," said April softly.

"Can't… feel… foot," managed Naomi, wishing she could say the same about her painful chest.

"Ok, I'll carry you on my back," said April. "Try to hold on for just a little longer, ok?"

Naomi nodded slowly. Getting on April's back was incredibly painful for her, no, even the slightest movement was painful. Her wrists were open from the constant struggle against the chains, the cut on her chest remained open because of the breathing movement, her foot was completely numb while the other was ever so painful, her head had been killing her ever since Alexio had thrown something – she didn't remember what, but it was heavy – at her in rage.

April tried to run as fast as she could.

"After her!" commanded Alexio, but Michelangelo blocked the way.

"Oh no you don't," he said.

"Are you serious?" laughed one of the men. "You're no match for all of us."

"Nope, not alone," said Michelangelo. "Look behind ya, dude."

Most the men – those who were not taking on Jim – looked around and found three Turtles coming their way. Alexio couldn't believe it. "You… you've got to be _kidding_ me…"

"Let's finish them off quickly, Michelangelo!" said Leonardo.

"Cowabunga!" cheered Michelangelo. "I knew you could take 'em, compadre!"

And immediately, a fight broke out. April could still hear it when she had reached the elevator.

"Turtles…" said Naomi.

"They'll be ok," said April. "I know they will. We need to get you somewhere safe while I call an ambulance."

The elevator doors opened.

"Put me… down?" asked Naomi.

"Can you stand?" asked April. She gently put Naomi back on her own feet. "Come on, lean on me," she said. "I'll help you walk."

But as soon as April had stepped into the elevator, Naomi took a step back, almost falling over.

"Hey, what are you…?"

"I'm sorry," said Naomi. And before April could say anything back, the doors were closing.

Naomi looked in the direction of where they came from. One foot being completely numb, she limped back to see the Turtles.

* * *

Raphael caught the wrists of someone who was trying to punch him and smacked him on the floor. The man immediately stood up, ready to try again.

"Oh, come on," said Raphael. "That musta hurt, admit it!"

"Don't you guys ever get tired?!" complained Donatello.

Leonardo was trying to keep his eye on Alexio, as was Michelangelo, but suddenly he saw Naomi further down the hallway.

"Donatello!" he warned. Donatello looked down the hall. _Oh no_, he thought. _What is she doing?!_

It had come down to the last four guards. Not _all_ the others were unconscious, just not able to fight anymore.

Alexio had seen her as well. But before he could make a move, Leonardo threw one of his katana at him, pinning his jacket to the wall.

"Naomi! Get out of here!" yelled Leonardo. "Quick!"

As two guards attacked Leonardo, Donatello helped him out. Raphael and Michelangelo were fighting the other two.

Alexio pulled the sword out of the wall and freed himself.

"I'll end you," he mumbled.

Naomi saw him approaching her with Leonardo's katana pointed at her. She was, however, too weak to move.

"Stop," she managed. "You do this... you won't like… the… outcome… Red Alice."

Alexio didn't care what she was trying to say. He stormed at her, the sword ready to penetrate her.

"NO!!!"

It was all decided in a flash. The Japanese steel became completely stained with blood, draining all the life force out of the sword's victim. It was originally made for that sole purpose in ancient Japan. Samurai had wielded this sword in order to use for justice. Killing was part of their jobs. With this sword, which Hamato Yoshi was given when he was still part of the Foot clan, and which he had passed on to Leonardo all those years ago, trusting that it would be used for justice and justice only, like it had ever since it was forged, now finally, a life was being taken once more.

The surrounding fights had stopped as everyone watched in shock and terror.

"B-Boss…" gasped one of the men.

Toxic green eyes met embittered dark brown eyes. Alexio moaned in pain as he raised his head to look at the girl he had wanted to kill.

"H-how… did… this… happen…" he managed breathless.

Naomi looked at the man, lying on the floor, drenched in blood. She only took a second to look at the long sword that was sticking out of his back, before she looked him in the eyes again.

Leonardo and Donatello had seen it all happen. Alexio had stormed towards her, holding Leonardo's katana pointed at her. Donatello had grabbed his bō and struck on Alexio's feet. Alexio fell over, dropping the sword in front of him. The sword had fallen on the floor, only the tip pointing up – right where Alexio was about to land. The mighty steel had penetrated his gut, all the way through to his back, into the air, stained in a dark red.

"Red Alice…" mumbled Naomi again. "You've… slaughtered… people… Left a… bloody path… This is the price… you… pay…"

Alexio's eyes, as the light was leaving them, were still filled with hatred. He coughed up a large amount of blood, but still managed a smirk.

"T-that's… right…" he said. "However… I will… still… have my revenge. You're just as… close to… death… as I am. You won't… survive."

One last cough ended his life. He stopped breathing and the light had now completely left his eyes.

"Boss…" whispered one of the guards.

"I told you they're monsters," said another. And the fighting against the Turtles continued.

"Naomi!" called Donatello. Naomi barely managed to stand up straight, leaning on the wall as her foot refused to move. "Get out of here! Now! We'll come right after you!"

* * *

"Come on, you piece of junk!" growled April as the elevator refused to co-operate. She was locked inside. The system had an error and now the elevator had entirely fallen still. She started kicking the elevator doors. "I – don't – have – time – for – this!"

Naomi had finally given in and slowly made her way out of here. She needed to take a rest every 10 steps, but she was determined to go on. _If I die, the Turtles and April would have risked their lives for nothing_, was the thought that kept her going. _I have to make it… I have to… I _have_ to…_

* * *

**Here's me again. :3 I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this chapter. If it is disappointing, please do let me know and I'll see if I can rewrite it into something better.**

**By the way, if you're wondering about what happened to Jim.... well... I have no idea either. I just realized I forgot about him. I'll figure something out. xD **


	19. Wake up!

**Yes, I got completely sucked into the story, so I finished this chapter in like two or three hours! That's mainly because this is how I had planned the story would go on a long time ago. All I had to do was type it down. Yay!**

**You're probably not going to feel happy reading this chapter, but please try and read it to the end, anyway. This is not the end of the story!**

* * *

"Yes!"

The elevator doors finally opened and April stormed out. She was still on the first floor. She looked at the floor, finding a trail of blood that led to where she had left the Turtles. She followed it, just in time to see the last guard thrown on top of the huge pile of unconscious men. Next to the pile, she found an older man, a sword piecing his body, his face lifeless.

"What have you…" she gasped as all Turtles looked up, heavily panting and sweating.

"This…" said Leonardo, turning the body slightly and slowly pulling the katana out, "happened by accident." He wiped the blood off with Alexio's jacket.

"Jim!" April ran a little further down the hall. Jim was lying on the floor, severely injured from all the punches he had received. Donatello crouched next to him.

"He's going to be just fine," he said.

"'m Sorry," mumbled Jim, his eyes still closed.

"It's alright now," said Leonardo. "You did well. Thank you for everything."

"Hope they got room for one more in that ambulance," said Raphael.

"Where's Naomi?" asked Michelangelo. April's eyes widened as she looked at him.

"You mean she isn't with you?!"

Donatello stood up. "We thought you'd catch up to her!" he said.

"I was stuck in the elevator after she took off!" said April.

"Let's find her," said Donatello, running down the hallway. The others soon followed him.

"Jim, you stay here," said Leonardo. "We'll come back for you."

"S-sure," moaned Jim. "I won't be… going anywhere."

* * *

_I have to… keep going…_

Naomi had no idea where to go. The hallway was spinning around her.

Someone was standing in front of her. She lifted her head and looked up. A friendly face smiled at her. A face she knew very well.

"S-Serge?"

"Sis," he said. "You're tired. Take a rest."

Naomi's eyes were filled with tears. She wanted to hold him, but her arms refused to raise.

"It's ok," said Serge softly. "You just need some rest. I'll stay right here until you wake up."

"Promise?" asked Naomi. A heavy dizziness suddenly overwhelmed her and she fell down. Her entire body hurt so much.

"Promise," she heard her brother's voice echo in her head. "We'll always be together from now on. Including Mom and Dad. I promise. Just sleep."

"Naomi! Where are you?!"

Donatello's voice sounded from somewhere very far away.

"Don…" She really couldn't talk anymore. She wanted to call for him. Her body was entirely numb. Everything around her was getting darker and darker.

* * *

"Look at this," whispered Donatello as he looked around. "She's lost so much blood…" His worries grew with every step they took.

"Ew, there's puke all over the place," pointed out Raphael. Donatello looked at it.

"Pure gastric juice," he gasped. "They didn't even feed her…"

"Jim told me yesterday that he did try to give her some food and water," said April. "But she threw up the water as soon as she had finished it. She didn't even try eating."

Donatello started running, tears escaping his eyes. The rest followed him.

* * *

"Naomi!" Donatello's voice again. Naomi stared into space. She could see less and less, and was feeling cold. She felt herself getting weaker every second. She wanted to sleep. She wanted the pain to stop. She was so tired.

Suddenly she could see five shades approach her.

"Naomi!"

One crouched beside her, the others stood around her.

"Naomi, it's alright," she heard Donatello whisper. She couldn't see his face anymore, just a shade. "You'll be ok. It's finally over."

Everything went black, the voices faded away. Even the pain faded.

_I'm sorry_, she thought. _Looks like… you came here for nothing. I'm so, so sorry._

A peaceful darkness surrounded her as she relaxed.

_Goodbye._

* * *

Donatello took her wrist, checking for pulse. His heart skipped a beat.

"No…" he whispered. "No, Naomi… Naomi, don't die…"

April buried her face in her hands and started to sob softly. Michelangelo laid his hand on her upper back. She leaned against his chest and cried silently. Tears were rolling down his own cheeks, as well.

As well did the other Turtles. Even Raphael.

"This can't be," he whispered, rage building up in his chest. "After all we've been through…"

He drew his sai and turned around, ready to storm away.

"I'll tear him to pieces," he growled.

"Raphael…" said Leonardo, one tear streaming down his cheek.

"I'll rip him to pieces! That bastard!"

"Raphael!" Leonardo took his brother's shoulder. "What difference would it make?"

"He _killed_ her!"

"I know, but this won't help. It won't change anything."

Raphael tugged his sai back on his belt… reluctantly.

"She can't be dead," he whispered. He turned to look at Naomi's body in Donatello's arms.

April's sobs filled up the silence.

Leonardo walked towards Donatello and put his hand on his shoulder. Donatello, still crouched with Naomi's body in his arms, looked up into his brother's eyes. Leonardo had never seen him this crushed.

"It's not your fault," he reassured Donatello. Donatello looked back into Naomi's lifeless eyes. Eyes that were once a toxic green, had gone blurry and empty. He gently laid her back on the floor and stood up.

"It _is_ my fault," he said, his voice shaking. "If I hadn't sent her home all on her own…" He turned around, tears streaming down his face. "What the hell was I thinking?!"

"It's _not_ your fault, Donatello! Stop talking like that!"

"Well it's true, isn't it?! What kind of brother am I?! I sent her away all alone in the dark! Of _course_ it's all my fault, Leonardo! My neglect towards her has become fatal—"

Leonardo slapped him strongly on the cheek. Donatello immediately fell silent.

"We all failed as brothers," said Leonardo strictly. "But those who think they can resolve things with regret or by blaming themselves are fools!"

Donatello rubbed where Leonardo had slapped him and stared at his brother.

"You know better than that," said Leonardo more calmly.

Donatello looked his hands. His arms were covered in blood. In just a few seconds, he burst in tears, dropping himself on his knees, embracing himself.

Leonardo couldn't hold back anymore, either, and turned towards the wall, burying his face in one hand. Raphael could see his shoulders twitching with each sob.

Michelangelo was still holding April in his arms, both of them in tears.

Raphael walked towards Naomi's body, crouched beside it and looked into her eyes.

"Brat…" he whispered. "Why did you come back, damn it…" Again, he felt a wave of rage rushing through his entire body. He took her shoulders and started jolting the body.

"Wake up, ya damn twerp!" he screamed, catching everyone's attention. "Don't you die on us, ya hear me?! You ain't gettin' rid of me that easily! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Raphael!" Leonardo grabbed Raphael's arm. "Stop it! She can't hear you! It's over! Cut it out!"

Raphael stopped moving quite abruptly.

"Did… did she…?" he whispered. He looked carefully at her eyes.

"Let go of her, Raphael," said Leonardo. "Come on."

Raphael didn't listen. He sat completely still.

He saw it again. This time for sure. Her eyelids moved just a little. This movement was soon followed by a slow blink.

Leonardo gasped. Raphael looked at him.

"Did ya see that?" he asked. Leonardo nodded.

Donatello looked at them.

"Guys, she blinked!" said Raphael. "She's still alive! It's not too late!"

Donatello stood up in a flash and took a close look at Naomi. And yes, there it was: a slow blink. Her mouth was also moving a bit, as if she was trying to speak. But all that came out was a hoarse, short "Ah".

Just in time, they could hear the sirens of the approaching ambulances.

Donatello carefully picked Naomi up.

"Let's hurry downstairs," he said.

"I'll go get Jim," said Leonardo. "You guys go on ahead."

They spread out. As Donatello carried Naomi, he said: "Naomi, listen to me. You need to stay awake. Don't close your eyes. Understand? Stay awake, no matter what."

Naomi didn't show any sign of whether she had heard him or not.

They entered the great hall before the main entrance.

"You guys go," said April. "The police are also coming. They can't see you. I'll stay with her."

The Turtles didn't even protest; they knew where they stood. Leonardo joined them with Jim and left him with April and Naomi. Donatello stroke his hand over the side of Naomi's face one more time before they made their way out.

* * *

**See? She's alive. You'll probably hate me now for either making you think she died or that she didn't. Please review, or comment, whatever you like to call it. It'd really help me out a lot in becoming a better writer. 3**

**See you next chapter!**


	20. Family

**Sorry, sorry, so sorry for yet another delay! But here it is - finally! - the next chapter, a little longer than usual but not too long... I hope. And I hope you'll like it.**

**I keep repeating it, but I must, I must thank everyone again for their patience and many people for leaving such terrific reviews. I can't get enough of those! ^^**

**Enjoy the following! :3**

* * *

Am I… dead?

"Naomi?"

_Who's that?_

"Naomi, are you awake?"

_Naomi__…?_

"I swear I just saw her move her hand."

_That's… my name…_

"I don't think she can hear you."

_Yes__, I can._

"Sorry, bro. I guess not today. Not yet."

_You're the ones who can't hear _me.

"No, look, her eyes are open! Naomi? Naomi, can you hear me?"

_Whose voice is that? It sounds so familiar…_

"Can you see me?"

_No, where are you?_

"Naomi?"

_Wait… what's that?_

Naomi blinked a few times, her eyes searching.

"She can hear me," said Donatello. He tried to get caught in her vision, but the normally clear, toxic green eyes were blank, like she was blind.

"N…" was all she managed.

_Serge… Mom, Dad…__ Grandpa… Donatello, guys… April… You're all here._

Naomi saw everyone she loved, standing around her bed.

_What's going on?_

"_You're in the hospital, honey,_" said her mother.

Naomi started to cry. _Oh Mom, Dad, Serge… I've missed you so much!_

"_I'm sorry, sis_," said Serge. "_I thought you were going through the same fate as I did. You know… not making it past the age of 16 and all. But I was wrong._"

"_We're always with you, sweetheart, and don't you forget it_," said her father with his usual wide smirk.

"_We love you, honey_," said her mother.

But then, they started to disappear. Everyone but the Turtles and April. Disguises slowly appeared on the Turtles.

_No, don't go, don't go!_

"Don't go," she mumbled. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Don't go…"

"It's ok," said April. "No one's going anywhere."

Naomi slowly turned her head to April. Her blurry vision was finally starting to clear.

"A… April?" she asked.

"Welcome back, weirdo," said Raphael with a smile. Naomi looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

"Raphael…" she mumbled. "You're smiling. That's… really creepy."

"What? You've gotta be kiddin'!" said Raphael. "Coma or not, this kid's asking for—"

"Coma?" asked Naomi. She tried to sit up straight, but a stabbing pain in her chest forced her back to her pillow.

"You've been sleeping for a while," said Leonardo. "It's been a week now."

"A week?" asked Naomi in shock. She coughed, finding herself having trouble breathing. She looked down to see what was hurting her so much. Her eyes widened. From her neck down to her waist, she was covered in bandages. A red stain on her chest stood out against the white bandages.

"What happened to me?" she asked. She coughed again. Her breathing was getting faster.

"Naomi, stay calm," said Donatello, taking her hand.

"No," said Naomi, slightly panicked. "No, what is this? Why am I here? Donatello…" She coughed again. It hurt even more when she coughed.

"Shhh, relax," hushed Donatello. "You're safe now. It's all over. You're going to get better."

Finally, she remembered. She remembered the evil looking eyes, the insane expression on Alexio's face, the way he had tortured her. How she had used her last bit of strength in order to try to escape. How she had fallen and given up. How she had thought that her life had ended.

But it hadn't.

"Donatello," she cried softly. "I was so scared…"

"Me too," said Donatello softly. He rubbed away a tear that had escaped from her eye. "When we found you, we thought you were…" He paused when he felt his own eyes filling themselves with a warm liquid. When he started talking again, it was like a rock in his throat was choking him in his own words. "But when Raphael found out that you were still alive, I hadn't given up on you. Not after all we've been through. And I knew you were thinking the same. That one sign of life gave me hope. Gave us all hope."

Naomi looked at him. She could see his eyes, clouded by tears. He was obviously trying to hold them back.

"You… found me," she whispered between a few sobs. "I thought you guys were…"

"Hey," said Michelangelo, his voice a little shaky as well, "it'll take a lot more to get rid of us. We never leave a mission unfinished. Especially when it comes to family."

"That's right," said Raphael. "You may be a weirdo, but… you're still our sister."

"You're a strong girl, you know that?" said Leonardo. "Even I thought we were too late when we found you, but… it seemed like you were trying your hardest to show us you were still alive."

"I did?" asked Naomi. "I… can't remember."

"You can't?" asked Donatello.

Naomi turned her head a little and stared at the ceiling.

"The last thing I remember was… in that room," she started. "I couldn't go on anymore. Everything was so quiet. I thought I had gone deaf. Couldn't go on…" She paused. The memory was now so clear to her, that it was like she was living the whole moment all over again. A big, warm hand on her arm calmed her down a little. "I wanted to find you," she continued. "I wanted to make sure you were ok. I fell down and couldn't get up. I felt so weak. Then I knew it was all over. I was too tired to try again. So I just gave in," her face was getting paler, "… and waited for death."

"Naomi…" whispered Donatello.

Naomi slowly turned her head back facing the others. She looked at Raphael.

"_You_ found out I was alive?" asked Naomi.

"Huh? Oh… yeah," said Raphael, scratching the back of his head. "Don't ask me how, just… leave it with that."

"Ok," said Naomi, followed by a deep sigh. "Thank you." Raphael just smiled at her.

"Wait, where's Grandpa?" asked Naomi, her grandfather's absence finally coming to her attention.

Donatello chuckled. "Bathroom," he said. "He keeps telling us he's getting old and his bladder isn't what it used to be."

A giggle from April followed by the rest – even Naomi – laughing briefly. A pain in her chest wiped the smile off Naomi's face. "Ow…"

"You ok, kiddo?" asked Michelangelo.

"No," admitted Naomi. "But I will be. Right?" She looked at Donatello.

"R-right," replied Donatello hesitantly. "You keep amazing the doctors here, that's a fact. They told us it was a true miracle you were… still alive when you were brought here. After all that blood loss…" He stopped when he saw Naomi's eyes almost closing. _She's tired._ "I'll tell you the details when you've gotten some of your strength back," he whispered, petting her head.

"I'm sorry I've caused you all this trouble," said Naomi. Her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.

"It's not your fault," said Leonardo softly. "We attract trouble, wherever we go."

Michelangelo laughed. "You got that right, compadre."

Naomi smiled shortly. Then she sighed and closed her eyes.

"Sleep well, sis," was the last thing she heard before a peaceful darkness shrouded her completely.

* * *

Harry entered the room.

"You just missed her," said Donatello.

"She was awake?" asked Harry.

"Only about two minutes," said Leonardo. "She even talked."

"What did she say?" asked Harry.

"She asked what happened," said Leonardo. "It looks like she'll be alright, though."

"Oh, my poor girl," said Harry. "How could they have done this?"

"The man who did this to her was crazy," said Donatello. "No one could have seen this coming."

"I can't thank you people enough for bringing my granddaughter back to me," said the old man.

"You don't have to thank us," said Leonardo. He wished he could explain the bond they shared with his granddaughter. "All we ask of you is not to mention us to anybody."

Harry smiled. "I see," he said. "Heroes in disguise, huh?" He laughed. "Don't worry. In my life, I've seen plenty of things. Nothing surprises me anymore these days."

_If only he knew_, thought all four Turtles.

"You secret's safe with me," said Harry.

"Thank you, sir," said Leonardo.

They couldn't possibly tell him what their connection to Naomi was. For all Harry knew, they were four men in disguise who were trying to be heroes, who were searching for danger and had found Naomi.

"No," said Harry, "thank _you_." He looked at Naomi. "Thank you so much."

* * *

"_An event that has caught the attention of all of New York City. Who knew that something like human trafficking had been going on right under our noses for years? And on top of that, what might be considered as one of the cruellest kidnappings of all time, has cost company president Alexio Greco his life._

_"16-year-old Naomi Peterson had been kidnapped by Greco himself almost two weeks ago. She has been tortured with violence, starvation and severe dehydration. She has been saved by our favourite local heroes: the ever mysterious Turtles. They were able to defeat hundreds of trained guards working under Greco. The events of the kidnapping and the rescue are still under thorough investigation._

_"It doesn't end here. While searching the building for more victims, one of the search teams has found a hidden room on the basement floor, hiding 37 young women who had gone missing several weeks and some even months ago. Amongst them were 4 girls at the very young age of 13. The other 33 women were between 15 and 28 years old, most of them were college students. All of them have been abused and were in a shocked state when they were found. These happenings have been very traumatizing to them and most of them will need therapy. It is also a big shock to New York City. How could something this cruel have happened right under our noses? _

_"As for Naomi Peterson, after being in a coma for a week, she woke up yesterday. The doctors have announced that her physical condition is stable, but they are still uncertain about her mental state._

_"All of New York City is praying for all of these girls. Let's hope that they will be able to come to terms with what has happened, and lead the rest of their lives at peace._

_"This was April O'Neil, Channel 6 News."_

* * *

**Hope it wasn't too cheesy... I tend to do that. ^^; **

**We've almost reached the end of "Long Lost Sister", and I'm sorry to say I'm not likely to make another sequel. **

**I am, however, starting on another TMNT fanfic called "The Lively Little Rodent", which, as you may have already guessed, is a story starring Splinter. Can't say too much about it yet, though. So if you're interested, please do subscribe or just keep an eye on my profile page right here on FF. ;-)**

**Next chapter is the final official chapter, which will be followed by an epilogue. Yes, I'm dead serious. :) Bye bye~ ^^**


	21. Splinter's Apology

**Wait! Before you read, I'd like to thank the people who have read this story all the way to the end, mostly for their patience with me. So... thank you very much! :D**

**This is the final chapter, the epilogue follows soon after. Please enjoy! ^^**

* * *

Naomi was hospitalized for three months before she finally got to go home… only to be bedridden for another few weeks. It was completely against her nature to sit still.

The doctors had not been able to save her right foot. The deep cut around her ankle had damaged the nerve endings, leaving her entire foot numb. She would have to walk with a crutch for the rest of her life.

As the Turtles came to visit her almost every day, they didn't bother to disguise themselves anymore. Harry was just a little shocked to find out they called themselves the Ninja Turtles for a good reason, but he didn't think any more or less of them. What had shocked him more, was the fact that the Turtles had known Naomi since she was only 9 years old.

Donatello was taking his role as big brother very seriously, to everyone's frustration.

"Come on, let me carry you," he insisted, reaching his arms out to her.

"I can do it," said Naomi. "I've got three perfectly healthy limbs to use to climb down. Go on ahead."

Hesitantly, Donatello went down the manhole, his eyes never leaving Naomi and her struggle with her crutches. "A-are you sure?" he asked again. "I could help you…" And with that, he had earned a poke on the head with one of the crutches.

"Just carry these and leave the rest to me," sighed Naomi. She sat on the edge of the manhole and reached the crutches out to him. Donatello took them, but stayed where he was.

"O-ok, just be very careful," he said nervously. "I'll be right here to catch you if you—"

A slap on the back of his head from Raphael interrupted another one of his good intentions.

"Thank you," said Naomi dryly.

"Sure thing," said Raphael just as dryly before he whispered: "Will you stop _helping_ her all the time? Let'r do her thing."

They watched as Naomi slowly climbed down, her right leg pointed more backwards. Every step she took with only her left leg, Donatello stood ready to catch her.

"She's doin' fine," whispered Raphael, laying a hand on Donatello's shoulder.

The final step came as a relief for Donatello. He took a step backward to give her some more space. However, when she almost fell backwards when she landed on the floor with her good leg, he shot towards her and caught her shoulders.

"Argh, _Donatello_!" grunted Naomi in frustration. "I'm _fine_! Please, just stop treating me like I'm disabled!"

"Sorry," said Donatello softly. He let go of her.

Naomi sighed. "It's ok," she said. "You're just trying to help." She took her crutches and followed the four Turtles to the Lair.

"You're gonna _love_ Master Splinter," said Michelangelo with a wide smirk. "He may seem a little rough on the outside, but he's really a cool dude."

"A cool dude?" repeated Naomi. "Your Sensei is a cool dude?"

"He's the best," said Michelangelo.

"And he's a… a rat, right?" asked Naomi, a bit of anxiety in her voice at the word "rat".

Leonardo laughed. "He may have mutated into a rat, but he's still as humane as when he was… well… human," he reassured her. "He's very wise. But be sure to show him respect."

"Why? She didn't show any respect when she was a brat," noted Raphael. "And still he liked her."

"Funny," remarked Naomi sarcastically. "From what _I've_ heard, you couldn't stand up to frail little me when I stayed at your place and I could fool you with ease."

"Who told you _that_ nonsense?" asked Raphael, shooting a look at her. But Naomi didn't answer, just kept walking with a big mean smirk on her face.

"Ha! You're bluffin'!" laughed Raphael.

"Well I don't know if it's true or not, since I can't remember," said Naomi calmly before aiming her evil smirk at Raphael. "But I assume your memory isn't _so_ bad that you can't remember by yourself. "

Raphael gritted his teeth. The two shared deadly looks until a soft, but firm "ahem" caught their attention. The source came from inside the Lair. Reluctantly, Naomi did let Donatello help her in because the step was so high that she simply could not have made it by herself.

"Great first impression," she mumbled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Now he'll probably think I'm a…"

"Brave, strong and independent young woman," finished Splinter her sentence, slowly stepping out of the shadow towards the Turtles and the teenager. "Given time to adjust to her situation," he added.

Naomi stared at the Rat and swallowed. "Are…" Her voice sounding hoarse, she coughed. "Are you…" She swallowed again. How come her mouth was suddenly so dry?

"Do not be frightened, my child," said Splinter in a calm tone. "I know what I look like."

"N-no, I'm not scared," stuttered Naomi. "I was prepared for this… I mean you… I mean…"

"It is alright, Naomi," said Splinter with a soothing smile.

Naomi let out a shaky sigh. "I was just nervous to meet you," she said, forcing a smile. "I've been in your care for a while when I was a kid. Thank you for that." She finished with an awkward bow.

Splinter couldn't help but chuckle at her effort. _I guess there is a reason why Americans don't bow_, he mused.

"It is me who should be thanking _you_," he responded. "Being the first human my sons had ever had contact with, you helped them over their anxiety towards human beings."

Naomi looked at Donatello, who sent her a reassuring smile.

"They're heroes," she said. "I owe them my _life_."

"I keep tellin' ya, you don't owe us nothin'!" protested Raphael.

Splinter smiled. "It seems that you are on better terms with Naomi than you used to be, Raphael," he said. Both Raphael and Naomi looked at him.

"We… didn't get along back then?" asked Naomi.

"Didn't get along?" laughed Michelangelo. "Sis, if looks could kill…!"

The six of them had a lot of catching up to do. They spent hours on chatting about their time together back then, just like they did when the Turtles had visited Naomi's house more than half a year ago.

After a few hours of constant enthusiastic chattering, it became quieter.

"Splinter?" asked Naomi a bit hesitantly.

"Yes, my child?" was his calm response.

"Do you… I mean… Do you think you can… restore my memories?" asked Naomi, her face slightly flushed.

The Rat sighed softly, as though he had already expected that question. He stood up and went to stand beside the teenager. Naomi could not suppress a flinching movement when he laid a furry hand on her head. For several seconds – maybe even minutes – he stood perfectly still with his eyes closed. When he finally withdrew his hand, and opened his eyes, Naomi could see a mixture of pain and sadness in his eyes.

"You have been through so much at your age," he said softly. "So many bad memories. So many negative feelings and thoughts. It saddens me to learn that a child has had to witness so much cruelness in her still short life." He looked straight into her eyes, the Turtles watching them. "I cannot bring back the memories you have made here. I had not erased your memories entirely, just locked them away. But over the years, you have led a completely different life and could not even imagine anything like us. You had stopped believing in us, and therefore the remains of these memories have slowly disappeared. I am afraid… it is too late now."

Donatello could see the disappointment in Naomi's eyes. And if he had to be honest, he was pretty much disappointed himself. Memories of nine-year-old Naomi spun around his mind for a brief moment.

"Naomi," continued Splinter. "I am sorry. I had erased your memories of us for the sake of all of us. I had hoped that if you had no relation to us, you would stay out of danger. I should have known that your deep bond with Donatello would remain in your heart. It is something not even I could possibly erase. What I regret the most, is that you _have_ been in danger, even though this foe was unfamiliar to all of us, and had no relation to your knowing about us. You have gained even more bad memories now, memories of something that we were unable to prevent."

He paused. Donatello got an oppressed feeling in the chest as he saw a tear slide down his former master's cheek.

"I am sorry."


	22. Epilogue: Donatello's Letter

**Yes, Donatello is breaking the fourth wall by writing you guys a letter. This takes place 10 years after the uhh 'incident' with Naomi had happened.**

**Hope you like it, and thanks a million for reading the story. Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

Dear readers,

_Donatello here. A lot has changed over the past ten years. __Some have changed more than others._

_Take Raphael for instance. You'll never guess who came back to see him. Mona Lisa! The Lizard Woman who was having a crush on him. Who would've thought the two would end up dating! Raphael kept denying their relationship at first, but yeah, after 8 years it's kind of hard to deny._

_Michelangelo's pizza recipes have become such a success that he actually has his own restaurant now. But since he barely shows himself to anyone, the phone keeps ringing and sometimes drives us all nuts.__ But hey, the mystery of his appearance is one of the things that make him so popular. And I must admit, those pizzas are simply _piccobello_!_

_Leonardo – believe it or not – has started his own dojo downtown. He's also called the Turtle Hermit, making his pupils wear heavy shells on their backs for training. People think the shell on his own back is one just like the ones he makes his students wear. Unbelievable. Oh well, people these days are way too skeptical to think it's real.__ But who am I to interfere with what they want to believe, right?_

_And it's a good thing they're skeptical. Should they really believe we're real, they might end up in the mental clinic Naomi's working for. Yes, she's a creative therapist now, and a great inspiration __to the medical world. At least, that's what turned out after her interview in April's talk show: "Chatter With Jones" – three guesses who April's married to. I just hope Casey will stick to teaching their kid how to play hockey, and not how to beat a guy's ass with a hockey stick. No, Casey gave up fighting as soon as he heard he was becoming a Dad. And he's doing a great job at it! Just like Raphael is doing a great job as the kid's godfather._

_As for me, I'm still the same old techno geek everyone is oh so familiar with. __The secret authorities know about our existence, but we are protected, so no scientist in the world would even dare lay a finger on one of us. On the contrary. I work with other scientists at NASA. The technologically advanced machinery-filled place is like my own piece of paradise! Mutant or not, they were impressed by my skills and my being a graduate from Sopho University at the age of sixteen. I'm also happy to announce that I'm not only going to be an uncle, but Naomi has even asked me to become the kid's godfather. The father has run off to Italia or something, taking no responsibility for the baby. Naomi doesn't seem to mind._

_Don't worry, of course we're still your heroes in a half shell at night. We keep practicing every morning and patrolling every night, no matter how busy the day. We couldn't just abandon those fine New York citizens when they need us, right?_

_Speaking of which, gotta run. Our work here is never done and a lot more adventures are awaiting us. But that's for another story._

_Take care,_

_Donatello_


End file.
